For the first time since 2017, EU asylum decisions have exceeded the number of applications filed, a situation linked to Covid-19, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO) said on Thursday 18 February.
In 2020, asylum applications in the EU (Member States and associated countries) fell by 31% from 2019 to their lowest level since 2013, largely due to emergency travel restrictions.
But the national asylum authorities have continued their activities, reducing the backlog of pending...