Islamabad, Dec 19: Between October 2023 and October 2024, 28,000 applications for international protection were submitted by Pakistani nationals in European Union Plus countries, according to a report released by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on Wednesday.
The data reveals a decline in monthly applications since October 2023, when the number peaked at around 3,400, dropping to 1,900 in October 2024. Italy received the highest number of asylum requests from Pakistanis, followed by France, Greece, and Germany.
The EUAA’s “Country Focus on Pakistan” report also noted that approximately 20,000 first-instance decisions were made on Pakistani asylum applications, with only 12% of applicants granted refugee status or subsidiary protection. By the end of October 2024, around 34,000 decisions were still pending.
The report examines Pakistan’s political and security situation, including the judiciary’s role and the treatment of specific groups, and also highlights the plight of Afghan refugees in the country. Pakistan is identified as one of the most vulnerable countries in the region to modern slavery, with an estimated 2.4 million people affected by forced labor or marriage. Despite laws against human trafficking, weak enforcement, corruption, and official complicity have hindered progress, continuing a culture of impunity.
