A report published by the Directorate of Immigration on Friday has shown that 374 people applied for international protection in the Grand Duchy in the month of September 2015, outside of the asylum-seekers received by the Office Luxembourgeois de l'Accueil et de l'Intégration (OLAI).
This shows a marked increase for the same month from the previous year, which stood at 134, as well as for the previous month of August 2015, during which only 188 applications for received.
In 2014 the total number of asylum applications received during the year stood at 766 up until September, whilst this year figures show 1212 have been submitted up until 30 September 2015.
Kosovo was found to have remained the European country with the highest number of applicants from August to September 2015, with 29 out of a total 62 asylum seekers. Syria and Iraq represented the Asian countries with the highest number of applicants, at 156 and 101, respectively, with Syria holding 22.4% of all applicants overall. Nigeria replaced Eritrea as the African country with the greatest number of applicants (7 out of 29) as compared to the previous month of August.
41.9% of all asylum applications, representing 399 people, were denied. 12.2%, or 116 individuals, were accorded refugee status. 12 people were relocated according to the Dublin Treaty, whilst this same Treaty meant that one person was transferred to Luxembourg.
27 people were returned to their home country, predominantly to the countries of Kosovo and Albania, at eight people each. Of these 27 return journeys, all were voluntary. 576 people have so far been returned, both voluntarily and involuntarily, in 2015.
Graph by Directorate of Immigration
