Of the 26,080 people granted asylum in Germany, 37 percent were from Syria. Over 60 percent of the 35,800 Syrians granted protection status in the EU28, were recorded in Sweden and Germany at 12,000 and 9,600 respectively.
Asylum seekers from Afghanistan were the second largest group in Germany at a total of 5,005 (20 percent). The third biggest group was from Iran at 2,720.
The total number of Europe’s asylum seekers shot up from 116,200 in 2012.But of the 76,165 people who applied for asylum in Germany, just 20,125 (26 percent) were granted protection first time, putting Germany below the EU average of 34 percent. Another 5,955 were given asylum on appeal.
And when ranked per head of population Germany’s figures are less impressive. They take in 31 refugees per 100,000 people compared with 385 in Malta and 278 in Sweden.The statistics were published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, on Thursday.
Last week Germany agreed to take in another 10,000 refugees from Syria.
“Germany stands by its humanitarian responsibility. It is therefore right that we, together, help even more,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in the statement.