Asylum Applications to EU Decrease by 13% in 2024
The number of asylum applications submitted to the European Union fell by 13% in 2024, totaling 912,000, Anadolu Agency reported citing the EU’s statistical authority, Eurostat.
Among these applications, Syrians submitted the highest number, with 148,000 first-time requests, accounting for 16% of the total. Venezuelans followed with 72,800 applications (8%), and Afghans ranked third with 72,200 (8%). Since 2013, Syria has been the leading nationality of asylum seekers in the EU. The recent overthrow of the Assad regime in December 2024, which ended the country’s long-standing civil war, has contributed to a surge of migrants seeking refuge in neighboring nations and beyond.
Germany remained the EU country with the most first-time asylum applicants, receiving 229,700 applications, or a quarter of the total in the EU. Other countries with significant numbers included Spain (164,000, 18%), Italy (151,100, 17%), France (130,900, 14%), and Greece (69,000, 8%), collectively representing 82% of all first-time applicants.
When considering the population of each EU country, the highest rates of first-time asylum applicants were recorded in the Greek Cypriot Administration (7.2 per 1,000 people), followed by Greece (6.6), Ireland and Spain (3.4 each), and Luxembourg (3.2). Overall, there were two first-time asylum applicants per 1,000 people across the EU in 2024.
Additionally, Eurostat reported that 36,300 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum, with 32% originating from Syria (11,600), followed by Afghanistan (5,700, 16%), Egypt (3,000, 8%), Somalia (2,400, 7%), and Guinea (1,300, 4%).
