Luxembourg's Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Department of Immigration today released the figures on international protection seekers in the Grand Duchy for the month of August 2015.
82 more people asked for international protection in August 2015 than July 2015, with the total number of seekers last month standing at 188. This figure shows an increase of 92 people compared with the same month in 2014. So far in 2015, 838 applications for international protection were submitted, marking an increase of 206 compared with the same period in 2014 and a rise of 173 compared with 2013.
Kosovo remained just ahead of Albania as the European country with the highest applicants during August 2015, with the former accounting for 30 and the latter 29, out of a total 93 European applicants. 58 applications were received from refugees from Syria, out of a total 83 for Asian countries. Africa accounted for 15 applicants. To date this year, 184 applicants have come from Kosovo (22%) and 115 from Syria (13.7%). In addition, 74 refugees were granted asylum in Luxembourg in May and were not included in these figures.
Concerning decisions made for the month of August 2015, the majority of requests for international protection, 29, were denied. 1 applicant was awarded asylum status and 12 were officially recognised as refugees. The number of applications declared incompetent was 11. Figures for applicants deemed irrecovable were 11.
Luxembourg transferred 8 applicants to relevant Member States, according to the Dublin Regulation, and in turn received just 1 applicant in August 2015. A total of 136 applicants were returned to their home countries in the same month, of which 74 were voluntary and 62 were obligatory.
