How did Member States react to the fluctuations of the influx of asylum seekers in 2014-2016?

In 2014-2016, EU Member States and Norway experienced an unprecedented influx of incoming applicants for international protection: the number of applications for international protection lodged rose from 443 015 in 2013 to peak at 1 320 000 million in 2015 and 1 260 000 million in 2016, though the scale and timing of the peaks differed greatly across European countries. The mass influx led to backlogs of registrations of international protection applications, pressures on reception centres, and other operational and organisational challenges.

What initiatives did EU Member States and Norway implement to tackle the unprecedented increase in asylum applications? And of these initiatives, what were considered to be the most effective? What lesson have been learnt from this unparalleled situation to build preparedness for the future?

The new EMN study on ‘Changing Influx of Asylum Seekers 2014-2016’ explains how 24 EU Member States and Norway responded to the migration crisis in their country by providing an overview of the changes to national strategies, approaches and measures in response to these unprecedented migratory movements.

Find out more in 1 page (EMN Flash)Search for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••, 5 pages (EMN Inform) or read the full study.