This Eurostat News Release is available in English, French and German through the following link:

Some key messages in the data:

• EU Member States granted protection to more than 330 000 asylum seekers in 2015
• Half of the beneficiaries in the EU in 2015 were Syrians (49.8%), followed by Eritreans (8.3%) and Iraqis (7.1%)
• Out of all persons granted protection status in 2015 in the EU, 246 200 persons were granted refugee status (74% of all positive decisions), 60 700 subsidiary protection (18%) and 26 500 authorisation to stay for humanitarian reasons (8%)
• In addition to those granted protection status, the EU Member States received more than 8 100 resettled refugees
• Half of asylum decisions at the first instance and 14% of final decisions on appeal made in the EU resulted in protection status in 2015
• Almost half of positive decisions granted in one single Member State: Germany
• Recognition rates differs greatly between citizenships: from 3% for citizens of the Western Balkan countries to more than 97% for Syrians

More detailed data and an in depth analysis can be found in the updated Statistics Explained article Asylum statistics on first time asylum applicants and decisions on asylum applications in year 2015.