Over 2k Asylum Seekers, 5k Ukrainians Sought Refuge in Luxembourg in 2022

On Tuesday 21 February 2023, Luxembourg's Minister of Foreign and European Affairs and Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Jean Asselborn, presented an overview of the asylum and immigration situation in the Grand Duchy for 2022.

Last year, a total of 2,269 people submitted an application for international protection in Luxembourg. This represents a significant increase (+81.5%) compared to 2021, during which 1,250 third-country nationals submitted an application for international protection. According to Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, the same dynamic was observed in all the Member States of the European Union (EU): the latest figures provided by the European Union Agency for Asylum showed that 955,000 applications had been submitted in the EU in 2022, i.e. an increase of 51% compared to the previous year. 

People who applied for international protection in Luxembourg last year mainly came from Syria (1,008), Eritrea (355), Afghanistan (174), Turkey (94) and Venezuela (85). The Foreign Ministry highlighted that Syrian nationals represented almost 50% of applications for international protection submitted in Luxembourg last year; this is a new phenomenon, as the ratio was not as high in previous years (31% in 2021).

The Foreign Ministry noted that the vast majority of applications for international protection submitted in Luxembourg were processed in Luxembourg; only 507 applicants had previously been registered in another EU Member State in 2022. Luxembourg was thus responsible for processing at least 1,700 applications for international protection submitted last year.

A total of 494 people arrived in Luxembourg within the framework of family reunification, representing 21% of applications for international protection in 2022.

Also of note in 2022 was the arrival in large numbers of unaccompanied minors: more than 160 unaccompanied minors arrived in Luxembourg, i.e. an increase of approximately 200% compared to previous years.

In 2022, Luxembourg took a total of 1,914 decisions in relation to applications processed. Within this, 1,123 individuals were granted international protection, including 848 who received refugee status and 275 relating to the status conferred by subsidiary protection. 494 Syrian nationals, 364 Eritrean nationals and 98 Afghan nationals were granted international protection, which corresponds to more than 80% of such decisions taken in 2022. In 231 cases, the authorities denied applicants international protection; in 270 cases, they transferred the decisions. There were also 58 decisions related to inadmissibility and nine decisions related to revocation of international protection status.

Temporary protection (Ukraine)

Since the EU activated its temporary protection directive in March 2022, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Directorate of Immigration of Luxembourg's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs has received 5,397 applications for temporary protection (including 5,039 from Ukrainian nationals). With an approval rate of over 94%, temporary protection was granted to 5,087 people. 259 people were notified of a refusal.

In order to optimise and speed up the administrative and decision-making process to efficiently manage this large number of applicants, the administrations concerned have set up a "Ukraine registration one-stop shop" in Luxembourg's city centre. This one-stop shop brings together on one site the Immigration Directorate, the National Reception Office (ONA), the Grand Ducal Police, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth and POST (to open a bank account). Until early July 2022, this one-stop shop was open five days a week based on an appointment system. Since then, given that the number of arrivals has stabilised at a lower level, the one-stop shop has been open one day a week (no appointment needed).

Beneficiaries of temporary protection receive housing, food and clothing, among other things, from ONA. They also receive a monthly allowance and have access to medical care. The Foreign Ministry added that, like beneficiaries of international protection, beneficiaries of temporary protection have free access to the Luxembourg labour market without the need for a special work permit, for the entire period of validity of their temporary protection certificate. They can also register as jobseekers with the ADEM employment agency. Moreover, children have access to the school system under the same conditions as Luxembourg nationals.