75 thousand asylum seekers granted protection status in the EU in 2008

About 75 thousand asylum seekers were granted protection status in the EU Member States in 2008. This represents more than one third of the world-wide decisions granting protection and makes the EU the region with the highest number of asylum seekers who received a protection status. However, the majority of asylum seekers lodging an asylum claim in the EU, see their claim rejected. Over 70 percent of all claims are rejected at the beginning of the asylum procedure. More than 75 percent of those who lodge an appeal in response to this rejection are eventually rejected at the final instance. Out of those who were granted protection in 2008, more than 40 thousand persons were granted refugee status and 25.5 thousand persons received a subsidiary protection status. 11 thousand obtained an authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons, as provided under national legislation. Iraqis were, by far, the largest group of beneficiaries of protection status in the EU in 2008, numbering 16.6 thousand persons.