Between October 2023 and October 2024, Pakistani nationals submitted 28,000 applications for international protection in European Union Plus countries, according to a report released by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on Wednesday.
The data shows a decline in monthly applications since October 2023, when numbers peaked at around 3,400. In October 2024, this figure dropped to 1,900. Italy received the highest number of asylum requests from Pakistanis, followed by France, Greece, and Germany.
EUAA’s “Country Focus on Pakistan” report revealed that EU Plus nations processed approximately 20,000 first-instance decisions 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 remained pending.
The report examines Pakistan’s political and security landscape, including the judiciary’s role and the treatment of specific groups. It also highlights the plight of Afghan refugees in the country.
Pakistan ranks among the most vulnerable nations to modern slavery in the region, with an estimated 2.4 million individuals subjected to forced labor or marriage. Despite laws against human trafficking, weak enforcement, corruption, and official complicity have hindered progress, perpetuating a culture of impunity.
