Even before the Coronavirus pandemic, German politicians and media representatives often said that border protection was illusory because it was not feasible. In the past few months, however, the epidemic has forced everyone to reconsider their opinion: borders closed by the pandemic have sharply reduced immigration to Europe.
The European Asylum Office (EASO) cites official data showing that the number of asylum applications in Europe has fallen to its lowest level in more than a decade: only 8,730 applications were submitted in April – a 86% drop compared to February, when authorities received 61,421 asylum applications.
“Of course, access for potential asylum seekers has been severely restricted in the past few months, especially at first”, – said Nina Gregory, Executive Director of EASO, reports Reuters.
In April, most asylum applications came from Syrians, followed by Afghans, Venezuelans and Colombians.