The number of first-time asylum applicants from Bangladesh seeking international protection in the European Union increased by 17.63 per cent in March this year to 4,135, compared with 3,885 in the same month of 2023.
Also, regarding month-to-month comparison, the percentage of first-time applicants grew in March this year against the previous month, according to the Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Its data shows that in March 2024, first-time asylum applications from Bangladeshi citizens increased by 15.18 per cent compared with 3,590 applications in February 2024.
The data also showed that in the first three months (January鈥揗arch) of the current year, a total of 11,005 first-time asylum seekers from Bangladesh applied for international protection in the EU, which was 6.17 per cent higher than the 10,365 applications in the same period of 2023.
Asylum is a type of international protection granted by a state within its territory.
It is provided to individuals who are unable to seek safety in their own country of citizenship or residence, often due to fear of persecution based on factors such as race, religion, nationality, membership in a specific social group, or political opinion.
Global migration expert and Dhaka University professor of international relations Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar said that due to the turmoil surrounding the country鈥檚 political and electoral processes, many people may feel insecure, leading to an increase in asylum applications.
Specifically, political repression against opposition leaders and activists in Bangladesh posed a significant threat to many individuals鈥� life at present, he said.
Abrar, also the executive director of the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit, however, mentioned that there were instances in which individuals exploited the asylum system for illegitimate purposes.
However, regarding receiving applications from non-EU states in March this year, the EU states received total 73,445 first-time asylum applications from different non-EU countries, seeking international protection, indicating a 3 per cent decrease from February 2024, when 75,405 applicants were recorded.
Compared with March 2023 recording 83,915 applicants, the March 2024 figure represented a 12 per cent decline.
In March 2024, Syrians constituted the largest group seeking asylum, with 10,470 first-time applicants, while Bangladeshis ranked fifth with 4,135 applicants.
According to the data, Afghans were the second largest group seeking asylum, with 5,735 first-time applicants, Venezuelans ranked third with 5,440 applicants, and Colombians were the fourth largest group with 4,570 applicants.
Syrians and Afghans remained on the top in seeking asylum in the EU over the decade due to factors like war, violence, instability, and authoritarianism leading to persecution and repression.
Meanwhile, the European Union Agency for Asylum in its latest report said that in April 2024, a total of 4,003 Bangladeshi asylum seekers applied for international protection in the EU+ countries, and of them 3,885 were the first-time asylum seekers.
EU+ refers to the 27 European Union member states, plus Norway and Switzerland.
The EUAA data showed that 82 per cent of all applications from Bangladesh were lodged in Italy, 10 per cent in France and 2 per cent in Greece.
According to the Eurostat data, the number of first-time asylum applicants from Bangladesh seeking international protection in the 27 countries in the EU in 2023 increased by 22 per cent to 38,965 compared with 31,935 in 2022.
鈥業n countries or regions with limited democracy and authoritarian regimes, individuals who do not benefit from the system often seek asylum elsewhere,鈥� eminent lawyer Shahdeen Malik told 抖阴精品 on Sunday.
He said that developed countries take into account factors such as the state of the rule of law and political persecution in the applicants鈥� countries when deciding on asylum applications.
Many individuals in Bangladesh may seek asylum fearing persecution for criticising the government, Shahdeen Malik, also the founding member of RMMRU, said.
The data also showed that in 2023 total 1.05 million first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in the EU countries.
This was an increase by 20.1 per cent compared with 0.87 million first-time asylum applicants in 2022, and it was the highest number since the peaks recorded as refugee crisis broke out due to the war in Syria in 2015 and 2016, the EU data stated.
Germany accounted for 31.4 per cent of all first-time asylum applicants in the EU, with .33 million applicants registered in 2023.
It was followed by Spain 15.3 per cent, France 13.8 per cent and Italy 12.4 per cent, data showed.