NOTE: It is known that because of the dysfunctional asylum system in Greece, many people who may
be in need of protection do not lodge an asylum application in Greece and therefore the total number of
registered asylum applicants is relatively low, especially compared to the number of irregular crossings
detected.
Table 2: Detection of illegal border crossings at the border crossing points of the
Eastern Mediterranean route (Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus) in 2012
Number
Total number of detections
Percentage
37224
Top 3 countries of origin
Afghanistan
9566
25.7%
Syria
7122
19.1%
Bangladesh
4598
12.4%
Source: Frontex
Table 3: Gender/age breakdown of the total numbers of applicants in 2012
Number
Percentage
Total number of applicants
9575
Men
7925
83%
Women
1655
17%
75
1%
Unaccompanied children
Source: Eurostat
Table 4: Comparison between first instance and appeal decision rates in 2012
First instance
Number
Total number of
decisions
Appeal
Percentage
11195
Number
Percentage
1650
Positive decisions
Total
95
0.8%
530
32%
Refugee Status
30
0.3%
185
11%
Subsidiary protection
45
0.4%
90
5%
Hum/comp protection
20
0.2%
255
15%
11095
99.1%
1115
68%
Negative decision
Source: Eurostat
7