EU facing over ¾ million asylum applications. The Covid hasn’t stopped the migrant crisis.
Today is World Refugee Day, 20/6/2021 according to the $9.1bn/yr United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Today I provide a snapshot of two aspects relating to the UK and the EU. Below I look at immigration — both legal and illegal — and asylum claims.
At the time of the UK’s EU Referendum, the subject of immigration was a hot topic. This included the then legal immigration into the UK of hundreds of thousands of EU27 citizens every year, as well as the illegal immigration into the EU of hundreds of thousands of citizens of many other countries.
In my article below it should be remembered that — whilst I am quoting my research into EU27 numbers — migrants entering the EU continue to gather on the northern shores of the EU and are now entering the UK in their thousands, with the French apparently unable to stop this. The EU’s migrant numbers therefore directly affect the UK.
Recent history — 2015–2019
In late summer 2015 German Chancellor Angela Merkel infamously and unilaterally opened Germany’s borders to migrants, causing an immediate and massive influx of migrants of all kinds into all southern EU27 countries.
Some of these made it to Germany. My research shows that 2,016,241 migrants entered Germany in 2015 alone. (Source: Destatis, official German statistics agency.)
The huge influx into the EU has continued from 2015 to the present day. 2015 might have been the headline year, but it was by no means the end of the story. In late 2018 I wrote that the EU’s already escalating Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund was set to soar again in 2019 by 56% compared to 2018. At this point, the UK was still paying a significant share of the EU’s costs, as well as paying into multi-billion ‘off-budget EU funds to deal with the Merkel-inspired immigration crisis.
So what happened in 2020 — did migration fall dramatically in the first Covid year?
It is generally assumed that the Covid crisis last year resulted in a big drop in the EU’s migrant problem. Today I can reveal that this is not the case. Covid simply dominated the news and the migrant crisis was hidden. Naturally total numbers fell but the crisis has continued.
There are two main ways of looking at immigration, total numbers, and asylum applications. Here we look at the latter, as these numbers effectively represent ‘refugees’ and today is ‘World Refugee Day. When looking at the numbers below it must be remembered that many illegal migrants simply disappear into society and never apply for asylum at all. This is certainly the case for those currently entering the UK on boats from France, a haven amongst the many safe havens that these people have passed through on their way to the UK.
EU asylum applications in 2020
- Total EU asylum applications 2020: 471,630
- No. of applications pending at end 2020: 765,700
3. % of males: 64.9%
4. % all applicants aged under 35: 78.3%
Where did the migrants come from?
- No. of originating countries: 150
2. Asia: 44%
3. Africa: 23%
4. The Americas: 21%
5. Europe: 10%
The EU had over ¾ million asylum applications in its in-tray on 31 Dec 2020. Almost ½ million were lodged in 2020 alone.
Almost 2/3rds are males and almost 80% are under the age of 35.
Finally, what about EU27 migrants in the UK?
I looked at the latest official Home Office figures for EU27 nationals applying to remain in the UK. The deadline is ostensibly the end of this month (June 2021) but the Home Office has said that some latitude may be provided for late applicants.
- Total no. of applications received from EU27 nationals: 5.27 million
2. Percentage of valid applications approved: 98.1%
My report shows that the EU’s migrant crisis hasn’t gone away because of the Covid crisis, it has merely slipped below the radar.
I am quite certain that readers feel for the plight of those who are genuinely fleeing their countries for fear of their lives or other humanitarian reasons. The United Kingdom has proved its generosity many times over the decades. This report is about the overall numbers and their age and gender make-up, which must question whether we are talking about genuine refugees or economic migrants.
It is neither racist nor xenophobic to state that countries should have secure borders, a properly constituted immigration policy, and a commitment to help those who are genuinely in need and who cannot be helped in their own countries. Unfortunately, this is not the point of view of the open borders globalists running the EU and the UN Migration Agency.
The numbers of migrants entering the UK illegally on boats from France has rocketed this year. Despite the media announcements by the Home Secretary and the Border Force, the numbers keep increasing. With the EU continuing to see large numbers of illegal migrants entering across its southern borders, a proportion will inevitably make their way towards northern France to get into the UK across the English Channel.
When it comes to legal immigration into the UK of EU27 citizens, the number of those applying for the right to stay shows up the lies we were all being told during the Referendum campaign by the Remain side and by the then Government. It looks highly likely that the total number of EU27 citizens will be double that being quoted at the time.
Happy World Refugee Day, anyone?
[ Sources: EU Commission | Destatis (German Stats Agency) | UK Home Office | UN Migration Agency ]
