Eurostat published recently the figures on asylum applications and first instance decisions in the European Union for the second quarter of 2012. Nearly 70,000 applications were lodged in that period, which means a 10% decrease in comparison to the same period of 2011. 65,260 first instance decisions were taken, of which 18,260 were positive (granting either refugee status, subsidiary protection or protection for humanitarian reasons) and 47,000 were negative.