(ANSA) - BRUSSELS - The EU-28 in 2016 granted international protection to 710,400 of those who requested it, over double the number from the previous year. Over 14,000 refugees were also resettled, reported Eurostat. Over 60% of asylum requests granted were in Germany (445,210, three times the number in 2015).

Following were Sweden (69,350, double compared with the previous year), Italy (35,450, +20%), France (35,170, +35%), Austria (31,750, +79%) and the Netherlands (21, 825, +28%). In 2016, a total of 1.1 million first-level asylum requests were taken into consideration by the EU and 221,000 appeals filed were examined. About 673,000 (61%) of the first-level requests were granted and 38,000 (17%) of the appeals were. The main beneficiaries of protection in the EU were Syrians (405,600, 57%), followed by Iraqis (65,800, 9%) and Afghans (61,800, 9%).

In Italy, the main beneficiaries were Nigerians (4,610, 13%), Pakistanis (4,300, 12%) and Afghans (4,000, 11%). Among the 710,000 refugees to have been granted international protection by the EU, (equal to 1,390 per million inhabitants), 389,670 (55%) received refugee status, 263,755 (37%) subsidiary protection and 56,970 (8%) authorization to remain for humanitarian reasons. In Italy, among the 35,450 refugees that were granted international protection (585 per million inhabitants), some 4,805 were granted refugee status, 12,120 subsidiary protection and 18,530 authorization to stay for humanitarian reasons.

Another 1,045 were resettled. (ANSA).