70 Albanian minority applied for asylum in 2021, record in region

Eurostat data suggests that in 2021 70 applications for asylum were recorded by unaccompanied Albanian children. This number is almost the same as 2020 (75) and more than twice as in 2019, when 160 applications were registered.

However, in relation to other countries in the region, Albania continues to hold the record. In 2021, Northern Macedonia had 5 applications, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina had none, and Kosovo registered 20 applications from unaccompanied children.

Belgium was the preferred state for the applications of Albanian minorities, with 25 followed by Sweden, Greece and Germany as of 10 each. Germany and France headed until 2019.

EU Applications

According to Eurostat, in 2021, there were 235 asylum applicants who were considered unaccompanied minors, with 72% increases compared to 2020 (1350). To a large extent, this increase was caused by the increase in the number of minors singled out by Afghanistan (12 270 in 2021 compared to 5495 in 2020).

Among the 235 unaccompanied minors who sought asylum in 2021, mostly (93%) were males. 68% were between 16 and 17 years of age, while those between 14 and 15 were 23% and those under 14 9%.

Austria represented 24% of all asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors in the EU. It was followed by Germany, Bulgaria (both 14%), Greece (10%), Belgium and Romania (both from 8%).

In 2021, based on available data, 5 070 unaccomplished minors applying for asylum received EU protection status. Of these for 48% were given additional protection, 34% were granted refugee status and 18% received humanitarian protection.

The largest group of asylum applicants considered to be unaccomplished minors in the EU in 2021 were Afghans (53% of the total number of unique minors seeking asylum in the EU). They were followed by Syrians (16%) and Bangladesh (6%).