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Pakistani nationals submitted approximately 28,000 applications for international protection in European Union Plus (EU+) countries between October 2023 and October 2024, according to a Pakistan-specific report by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) released on Wednesday.
Italy emerged as the top destination for Pakistani asylum seekers, followed by France, Greece, and Germany. During this period, EU+ countries issued around 20,000 first-instance decisions on these applications, granting refugee status or subsidiary protection to only 12% of applicants.
As of the end of October 2024, nearly 34,000 Pakistani applications remained pending at the first instance. The report highlights that these official statistics exclude cases involving illegal human smuggling routes often used by Pakistanis to enter Europe.
The EUAA report also examines the political and security landscape in Pakistan, focusing on key actors, the judiciary’s role, and the treatment of specific population groups. Additionally, it assesses the situation of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan.
Pakistan is noted as one of the countries most vulnerable to modern slavery in the region, with an estimated 2.4 million individuals subjected to forced labor or forced marriage.
