Unprecedented record of Bangladeshis in applying for asylum in Europe – 2024-03-01 21:09:41

Bangladeshis have set a new record in applying for asylum in Europe. Last year, more than 11 lakh 40 thousand people applied to go to different European countries, of which the number of Bangladeshis is more than 40 thousand. Most wanted to go to Italy and France. This new information has emerged in a statistic published by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).

According to EUAA, 40 thousand 332 Bangladeshis applied for asylum in Europe last year. Among them, 20,926 Bangladeshis applied between January and June. And 19 thousand 406 Bangladeshis applied for asylum in Europe from July to December.

According to EUAA statistics, the number of asylum applications in Europe in 2023 will increase by almost 18 percent compared to the previous year. Which is the highest since the 2015-16 global refugee crisis. That year, 1.3 million people from different countries applied for asylum in Europe.

EUAA said Italy was the main destination for Bangladeshi asylum applications last year. 58 percent of Bangladeshi asylum applications in EU Plus were made in Italy. That is, in 2023, 23 thousand 448 Bangladeshis applied for asylum in Italy.

After that, most asylum applications of Bangladeshis have been submitted in France and Romania. 25 percent of the total asylum applications of Bangladeshis in EU Plus are submitted in France. Last year 10 thousand 215 Bangladeshis applied for asylum in France.

At the same time, 2 thousand 822 Bangladeshis sought asylum in Romania. After that, 1 thousand 409 people applied for asylum in Austria, 640 people in Greece, 445 people in Ireland, 380 people in Spain, 314 people in Cyprus, 164 people in Germany, 118 people in Malta and 377 people in other countries.

According to EUAA data, Germany was the top choice of asylum seekers among European countries last year. And Syrian citizens are at the top of all asylum applications. After that, another war-torn country, Afghanistan, is on the second place in this list.

The number of illegal border crossings in Europe has also increased at an alarming rate since 2016, according to statistics from the EU’s border security agency Frontex last month.

Every year, many people from different parts of the world go to Europe in the hope of a better life, economic stability and security. Many people try to cross to different countries of Europe illegally. Some again apply for asylum citing various reasons.

However, in the current global context, countries such as the UK, Germany, France, Italy, which are at the top of the list of asylum seekers, have brought major changes in their immigration policies. Most of the European countries have taken a strict stance against illegal immigration in particular.

Source: EUAA

SAH