Decrease in asylum applications

The downward trend in the number of asylum applications is continuing, according to figures released yesterday by the commissioner-general for refugees and stateless persons (CGRA). A total of 1,202 applications were recorded in May - the lowest number since April 2010. The number of asylum applications is one-third lower than in May 2012. Of the 1,202 applications submitted, there were 420 multiple applications and 59 applications from unaccompanied minors. There was also a sharp drop in applications during the first four months of the year, with a total of 7,031 asylum applications between January and May, a quarter less than in the same period last year. The majority of applicants were from Afghanistan (690), followed by Guinea (632) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (530). The CGRA ruled on 1,482 cases in May, granting refugee status to 238 applicants and subsidiary protection status to a further 209 people.