The European Asylum Support Office recorded 206,500 applications between January 2019 and April 2019, compared to 179,000 during the same period in 2018.

Both figures are below the claims documented in 2017 (220,730) and 2016 (413,685).

The EASO, based in Malta, facilities cooperation among the asylum programmes of the EU28 member states, Norway and Switzerland, a bloc it calls the “EU+”.

A spokesperson for the EASO told Delano via email on Tuesday:

“I would note that the 15% rise in applications in the first four months of this year, when compared to the same period last year, should be taken within the context of the dramatic fall in applications over the past few years. Indeed, 2018 saw the number of applications return to pre-crisis levels and there is no indication at this stage that the increase in the first four months of the year constitute a significant shift in trends. It is normal to have monthly fluctuations. Indeed, the number of applications in April was lower than in March.”

According to EASO figures published on 11 June:

“In April 2019, there were some 54,640 applications for international protection in the EU+, down by 7% (4,100) compared to the previous month but up by 9% compared to a year ago in March 2018.”

And, it said, that in April 2019:

“One in four applications was lodged by nationals of the three main countries of origin: Syria, Afghanistan and Venezuela.”

The EASO said there were “close to 434,000 cases” in the process of getting a first asylum ruling at the end of April 2019. About 1 in 3 applications that were considered that month were approved.

EU rules prevent EASO from publishing figures for specific EU+ countries.