In 2022, there was a rise in asylum applications from Arab citizens to the 27 European Union countries, after a decline in 2020 due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in the closure of borders and airports, making travel movements difficult, including for those seeking asylum.

Several Arab countries have been affected by political, economic, and security crises, which played a major role in the return of the asylum application indicator to rise in the European Union countries, according to the latest data issued by the official European Union Asylum Agency.

Syria, Iraq, and Morocco topped the list of 10 Arab countries whose citizens recorded the largest number of asylum applications from Arabs to the European Union countries in 2022, according to an analysis of data by the “European Union Asylum Agency.”

1- Syria:

The number of Syrian asylum seekers in the European Union countries in 2022 reached about 131,700, which is the highest number both Arab and internationally, considering the political and security conditions the country has experienced since 2011.

The number of Syrian asylum seekers doubled in 2022 compared to 2020, which recorded 64,540 asylum applications, the lowest number since the beginning of the study in 2014.

But the peak of asylum applications was in 2015, when more than 371,000 asylum applications were registered.

2- Iraq:

Despite the return of relative stability to the country and the improvement in oil revenues, Iraq ranked second in the list of the most asylum applications from Arabs in the European Union, with a number exceeding 26,900.

However, the asylum acceptance rate did not exceed 30 percent, which is less than the acceptance rate for Syrians, and even less than the European average rate, but much better than the rate in North African countries classified as safe.

Meanwhile, more than 17,000 asylum applications remained pending, especially since the peak of Iraqi asylum applications was recorded in 2015, with about 126,000 applications, during a critical period when the northern and western parts of the country were under the control of the Daesh terrorist organization. But this number declined to its lowest level in 2020, at less than 18,200 applications, coinciding with the peak spread of the coronavirus pandemic and the return of stability to the country after it managed to liberate all the provinces under the terrorist organization’s control.

3- Morocco:

Morocco recorded the highest number of asylum applications in the Maghreb region last year, with 21,895 applications, a slight difference from Tunisia, which is the highest number since 2014, where the lowest number of asylum applications was recorded (4,904 applications).

The number of asylum applications doubled about four and a half times between 2014 and 2022, despite a decrease in this number in 2020 to 7,662 applications, meaning it also more than doubled in just two years.

It is notable that despite the relatively large number of asylum applications, only 5 percent were accepted, and more than 17,000 applications remained pending.

4- Tunisia:

Although Tunisia’s population does not exceed 12.5 million, it recorded a large number of asylum applications to the European Union countries last year, reaching 21,447 applications, just 448 fewer than Morocco, which has about three times its population.

The number of asylum applications increased more than nine times between 2017 and 2022, reflecting concern about the political and economic crisis facing the country.

Similar to Morocco, Tunisia recorded in 2022 the highest number of asylum applications since 2014. However, the acceptance rate for asylum applications is the lowest among Arab countries and did not exceed 2 percent, while 6,247 applications remained pending.

This is related to the European Union countries classifying Tunisia as a safe country, while priority is given to countries experiencing security disturbances like Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Libya, for example.

5- Somalia:

About 17,590 asylum applications from Somalis were registered in the European Union countries in 2022, up from the lowest number recorded in 2020, estimated at more than 11,180 applications.

However, the acceptance rate for Somali asylum applications is relatively high, reaching 59 percent, which is higher than many Arab nationalities and surpassed only by Syrians, Yemenis, and Palestinians.

Nevertheless, more than 14,000 asylum applications are still pending with immigration offices in the European Union countries.

6- Egypt:

The largest Arab country in terms of population, exceeding 107 million people, recorded 15,429 asylum applications in 2022, which is the highest number since the beginning of the study in 2014.

This number nearly tripled within two years, as it recorded its lowest number in the past nine years in 2020, about 3,220.

Like Tunisia and Morocco, the acceptance rate for Egyptian asylum applications in Europe is low and does not exceed 7 percent, meaning Egypt is also classified as a safe country, and its residents do not need asylum or protection in Europe.

7- Algeria:

The number of Algerian asylum applications in the European Union countries reached 9,765 last year, which is higher than its lowest level recorded in 2014, when it reached 6,930 applications. However, it is lower than the peak in 2016, when asylum applications reached 12,371, during which the country began to feel the effects of the economic crisis after the decline in oil prices between 2014 and 2020.

Similarly to North African countries, the acceptance rate for asylum files was low and did not exceed 8 percent, placing Algeria among safe countries.

8- Palestine:

Palestine is classified among unsafe countries and areas, so the acceptance rates for Palestinian asylum applications in European Union countries reach 65 percent, which is the highest Arab rate after Syria and Yemen. Meanwhile, 5,486 applications remained pending.

Last year, about 6,750 asylum applications by Palestinians were recorded in the European Union countries.

This number doubled compared to 2020, when 3,313 asylum applications were recorded, but it did not exceed the peak of 2018, when 7,363 applications were recorded.

9- Sudan:

Sudanese asylum applicants enjoyed an acceptance rate of up to 48 percent, which is eight points above the European average, highlighting Europeans' understanding of the difficult security and economic conditions, especially in the western, southern, and eastern parts of the country.

In 2022, more than 5,660 asylum applications for Sudanese were registered in one of the European Union countries, up from 3,152 applications in 2020. But the peak of asylum applications was in 2015 and 2016, where they exceeded 11,350 applications in each year, double the asylum applications last year.

The year 2015 coincided with the reduction by the Bashir regime of fuel prices to reduce the financial gap left by South Sudan's secession from the country in 2011, which caused protests that witnessed violent events and dozens of deaths.

10- Yemen:

Yemenis ranked second after Syrians in priority in terms of asylum application acceptance in Europe, with an acceptance rate of 84 percent, and 3,906 applications remained pending.

The number of Yemeni asylum applications in the European Union countries was less than 5,340 in 2022, the year that recorded the peak of asylum applications during the last nine years.

This number is twice the number recorded in 2017, which was 2,332 applications, the lowest number of asylum applications since 2014.