Many Nordic countries saw a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum. This photo is from a reception center in southern Sweden. © Photo: Anders Hansson

08.02.2010

Asylum trends in the Baltics and Nordics 2009

The Baltic and Nordic countries received more than 50,000 applications for asylum in 2009. Almost half of these were lodged in Sweden, where applications remained on par with the previous year. Norway, which received the second largest number of asylum-seekers, experienced a near 20 per cent increase over 2008. In Finland the number of asylum-seekers increased by almost 50 per cent. In the Baltics, the number of asylum-seekers remained low.

3,819 persons applied for asylum in Denmark, which is significantly more than total figures for 2008, 2,380. The largest number of applications were handed in by Afghans, 1049 applications. Syrians, Russians, Iranians and Iraqis were the four following groups.

In May 2009, Denmark signed a Memorandum of Understanding on return with Iraq. In September a group of rejected Iraqi asylum-seekers were forcibly returned to Baghdad under the terms of MoU.

Finland saw a marked 47 per cent increase in asylum applications in 2009 compared to 2008. The number rose from 4,016 to 5,910 applications. However, the number of unaccompanied minors dropped from 706 in 2008, to 544 in 2009.

The two largest groups of asylum-seekers, both adults and unaccompanied minors, were Iraqis and Somalis. There were fewer arrivals of both Iraqis and Somalis during the second half of the year. The third largest group of asylum-seekers in Finland in 2009 was Roma from Bulgaria, lodging 722 applications. These applications are regarded as manifestly unfounded since they are made by residents of another EU member state.

In November 2009, the Government submitted a draft-law to Parliament suggesting a number of amendments to the Aliens Act, concerning issues of family reunification, age assessment and access to employment by asylum-seekers.

Unlike the other Nordics, Iceland experienced a significant drop as the number of applications more than halved, from 78 in 2008, to 35 in 2009. Iceland reviewed its asylum policy during the year, and a report will be published in 2010.

In Norway the number of asylum applications went up by 19 per cent, from 14,431 in 2008, to 17,173 in 2009. 2,500 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in Norway in 2009, which constitutes an increase of 75 per cent compared to 2008. In 2009, 1,672 children, or 70 per cent, were from Afghanistan.

The largest groups of applicants in 2009 were Afghans (3,862), Eritreans (2,664) and Somalis (1,894). Iraqis were in 5th place with 1,209 applications, a 65 per cent drop compared to 2008.

Thirteen restrictive measures that were announced in September 2008 were gradually implemented during 2009. The new Aliens Act came into force on 1 January 2010. In May 2009 Norway, like Denmark, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Iraq on return. In December 2009, 30 rejected Iraqi asylum-seekers were forcibly returned to Baghdad.

The number of persons who applied for asylum in Sweden in 2009 – 24,194 - was almost the same as in 2008 (24,353). The top 3 countries of origin were Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of unaccompanied minors who arrived in Sweden increased considerably compared to 2008, from 1,510 to 2,250. 

The Migration Court of Appeal in September ruled that there is a state of armed conflict in Mogadishu, Somalia. The effect of this ruling was that applicants from the region could receive asylum in Sweden without having to show individual grounds of persecution. The number of Somali asylum-seekers increased by 75 per cent compared to 2008, from 3,361 to 5,874.

Sweden continued with forced return of rejected asylum-seekers originating from all parts of Iraq. Meanwhile the number of Iraqi applications dropped to 2,297 in 2009, compared to 6,083 in 2008, a 65 per cent reduction. Afghans submitted 1,694 applications for asylum, an increase of 115 per cent from 2008 numbers.

Latvia received 52 applications for asylum, which is about as many as in 2008 (51). The two largest groups were Afghans and Uzbeks. Estonia received 40 applications in 2009, a significant increase compared to 2008 and 2007 when only 14 applications were lodged each year. The applicants came from Afghanistan, Georgia, Russia and Syria, among others. The number of applications in Lithuania stayed almost the same as in 2008, with 211 applications compared to 216 in 2008. In 2007 the number was just around half of this, 124 applications. Top two countries of origin were Georgia and the Russian Federation.

Recognition rates in the Nordics

In Finland, nearly 77 per cent of those who applied for asylum received protection in 2009, but of these only 110 persons, just over 6 per cent were recognized as refugees. This is lower than in 2008 when the figure was 8.7 but somewhat higher than in 2007, 5.9 per cent.

The Convention recognition rate for Norway was 16.4 per cent in 2009 compared to 14.5 per cent in 2008.  The overall protection rate in Norway was 41.9 per cent.

Sweden saw a doubling of Convention recognition rates between 2007 and 2008, and in 2009 the number went up a little more to 7.8 per cent. Overall protection rate in Sweden was 39.8 per cent.

Denmark showed a high Convention recognition rate in 2008, 19 per cent, and had an overall protection rate of 49 per cent. In 2009 22 per cent of applicants were recognised as refugees and an additional 22 per cent received other forms of protection.