Increase in asylum applications from Syria

In August, Belgium received 1,580 asylum applications, 6% more than in July (1,490), reports the Commissioner General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS). Most of the applications come from Syrian nationals, with 262 asylum applications in the month of August (16%), the largest number since the beginning of the conflict there in 2011.

The remaining claims come from Eritrea (144 requests, or 9.1%), Afghanistan (7%), Iraq (6.5%), Russia (5.3%), Guinea (5.1%), Democratic Republic of Congo (3.5%), Albania (2.6%), Somalia (2.6%) and a number of asylum seekers with no determinable nationality (4%).

The CGRS answered a total of 1,205 new asylum applications in August alone, 890 of which were eligible for a decision. Of these applications, 46.6% were granted refugee status or subsidiary protection.