In recent years, EU countries have received fewer asylum applications, indicating that fewer people have sought protection in the region.
According to a press release by Eurostat, the number of asylum applications in 2024 was down by 13.1 per cent. This means that 912,415 people applied for asylum during this period, Schengen.News reports.
On the other hand, temporary protection was offered to 780,280 people leaving Ukraine, which is 26.1 per cent down from the 2023 numbers.
These Countries Had the Highest Number of Asylum Application Rates for 2024
Cyprus had the highest rates of asylum applications received per 1,000 people in 2024, as there were 7.2 applicants, followed by Greece with 6.6 and Ireland and Spain, each with 3.4 applicants per 1,000 people.
As per countries with the highest number of people that were granted temporary protection per 1,000 people, Czechia and Slovakia stand out with 7.1 and 4.8 people per 1,000, followed by Poland (4.5).
In 2024, Syrians were the largest group of people seeking asylum in the EU (148,185 first-time asylum applicants, 16.2 per cent of the EU total). Next were citizens of Venezuela (72,790, eight per cent), Afghanistan (72,240, 7.9 per cent), Colombia (50,320, 5.5 per cent), and Türkiye (46,840, 5.1 per cent).
As per the percentage of applicants who were granted protection without appealing, Colombia had the lowest rate, with only seven per cent of applicants from this country being granted protection at first instance. Besides Colombia, Georgia, Morocco, and Egypt all had acceptance rates that were lower than 20 per cent.
On the other hand, countries with higher recognition rates included Palestine, Venezuela, Mali, and Ukraine, all with recognition rates higher than 50 per cent.
Fewer Asylum Applicants & Individuals Seeking Temporary Protection in Q1 2025
As the data reveal in the first quarter of 2025, the number of asylum applicants and those filing for temporary protection has decreased significantly. More specifically, 183,809 first-time asylum seekers were recorded during this period.
About 136,113 people were granted temporary protection, revealing that the number of beneficiaries was up by 30.9 per cent for this category. Moreover, the number of asylum seekers has been down by 23.5 per cent compared to the final quarter of 2024.
In addition, it is estimated that for every 1,000 people in the EU in 2024, there were 2.0 first-time asylum applicants and 1.7 new temporary protection decisions.