Data extracted on 10 March 2025
Planned article update: 16 June 2025
Highlights
(number of applicants)
Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm)
This article describes recent developments in relation to the number of asylum applicants in the European Union (EU).
Main trends in the number of asylum applicants
Since 2021, EU countries have received increasing numbers of asylum applications (Figure 1). The number of first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) reached its peak in October 2023, when almost 115 000 people lodged the applications for international protection.
In 2024, the number of first-time asylum applicants ranged from 87 890 people in January to 62 085 people in December, the lowest number since April 2022.
On a quarterly basis, there were 222 910 first-time asylum applicants in the EU countries between October and December 2024, a minor increase of 0.1% compared with Q3 2024 (222 725). Compared with the same period in 2023, this represented a 26.0% decrease (down from 301 350).
For most of 2024, the number of subsequent applicants was somewhat stable at around 6 950 applications on average per month, with 6 560 applicants registered in December 2024. In Q4 2024, there were 21 610 subsequent applicants, showing an increase of 8.8% compared with Q3 of 2024 (19 865). Compared with the same period in 2023, this represented a 11.9% increase (up from 19 320).
For all the months of 2024, more males than females sought asylum in the EU countries.
In December 2024, men aged 18-34 years accounted for 35.3% of the total number of first-time asylum applicants (Figure 2). Regarding children aged less than 14 years, 51.6% were boys and 48.4% were girls. Most children aged 14-17 years were boys (73.8%) and 26.2% were girls.
The EU total ratio of first-time asylum applicants in December 2024 was 13.8 per 100 000 people. Compared with the population of each EU country, since June 2024, the highest number of first-time asylum applicants was registered in Greece. In December 2024, the highest rates of first-time applicants per 100 000 people were recorded in Greece (61.7), ahead of Luxembourg (36.5) and Belgium (25.6).
Where do asylum applicants come from?
Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum, followed by Venezuelans and Afghans.
In December 2024, Syrians lodged 8 345 applications, showing a drop of 27.8% compared with November 2024 (11 555). Compared with the same period in 2023, this represented a 40.3% decrease (down from 13 970) (Figure 4). On a quarterly basis, Syrians lodged 35 705 applications between October and December 2024 and accounted for 16.0% of the total number of first-time asylum applicants in reporting EU countries.
Since mid-2023, the number of applications submitted by Afghans has mainly been on a downward trend. In December 2024, Afghans lodged 5 595 applications representing a drop of 7.4% compared with December 2023.
By contrast, there was an increase in the number of asylum applications lodged by Venezuelan citizens. In December 2024, the number of applications submitted by Venezuelans was 6 345, an increase of 32.7% compared with December 2023.
Where do asylum applicants make their application?
Germany, Spain, France and Italy continued to receive the highest number of first-time asylum applicants. In December 2024, these 4 countries accounted for 71% of all first-time applicants in the EU (Map 1). Details for each reporting country are available in the interactive map of the data browser.
Source: Eurostat (migr_asyappctzm)
The number of first-time asylum applicants decreased in every month of the second half of 2024 compared with the same month of the previous year (Figure 5). The largest drop was recorded in November 2024 (31.5% less compared with November 2023).
Where do unaccompanied minors come from?
Syrians continued to be the largest group of unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in the EU countries. In December 2024, based on available data, 2 500 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in 1 of the EU countries, with most of them coming from Syria (25.4% of total), ahead of Egypt (21.6%) and Afghanistan (11.8%) (Figure 6).
Where do unaccompanied minors apply for asylum?
The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors in December 2024 was Germany (685 applications, 27.4% of the total). This was despite the fact that in 2024 the number of applications in Germany showed mainly a downward trend.
In December 2024, Greece, which came second, received 605 applications from unaccompanied minors, followed by Spain with 265 applications (Figure 7).
Applications under the accelerated procedure
Since January 2023, France and Italy processed the highest number of applications under an accelerated procedure. In December 2024, France processed 4 460 applications under the accelerated procedure, ahead of Italy (2 255) and Greece (325).
Pending applications
In December 2024, Germany continued to have the highest number of pending applications, ahead of Spain, Italy and France (Map 2). Details for each reporting country are available in the interactive map of the data browser.
At the EU level, there were 1.24 million applications awaiting decisions in December 2024 (Figure 9), a minor decrease of 1.0% compared with November 2024. Compared with the same period in 2023, this represented an increase of 8.5%.
Data sources
The statistics are based on administrative sources and are provided to Eurostat by statistical authorities, ministries of the interior or related immigration agencies in the EU countries and EFTA countries.
Data on asylum applications are collected monthly. They are based entirely on relevant administrative sources, and are supplied in accordance with the provisions of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) 862/2007 of 11 July 2007 on Community statistics on migration and international protection.
Statistics on asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors presented in this article refer to the age accepted by the national authorities. However, this is before the age assessment procedure is carried out/completed (i.e. it refers to the age as claimed by the applicant).
Limitations on data availability affecting the information presented in this article:
- Cyprus: due to temporary derogations data on subsequent applications and unaccompanied minors and applications were not available until December 2023, therefore Cyprus was not included in the total calculated until December 2023.
- Portugal: December 2024 data for first-time asylum applicants (including unaccompanied minors) and pending applications are not available, November 2024 data are used.
- Poland, data on unaccompanied minors are not available since January 2024. EU aggregates have been computed based on available data.
- Data on applications processed under the accelerated procedure: Cyprus and Romania, due to temporary derogations data were not available until December 2023 and EU aggregates have been computed based on available data. Denmark: definition differs.
Data presented in this publication are rounded to the nearest 5.
Context
The 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees (as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol) has, for over 70 years, defined who is a refugee, and laid down a common approach towards refugees, which has been one of the cornerstones for the development of a common asylum system within the EU. Since 1999, the EU has worked towards creating a common European asylum regime in accordance with the Geneva Convention and other applicable international instruments. The Directorate-General Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) is responsible for developing EU policies on asylum.
The Pact on Migration and Asylum was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024 and by the Council in May 2024. This Pact provides a comprehensive approach that delivers a common European response to migration. It allows the EU to manage migration in a fair and sustainable way, ensuring solidarity between countries while also providing certainty and clarity for people arriving in the EU and protecting their fundamental rights. The Pact on Migration and Asylum will ensure that countries share the effort responsibly, showing solidarity with the ones that protect our external borders and with those facing particular migratory pressure, while preventing irregular migration to the EU. The Pact also gives the EU and its countries the tools to react rapidly in situations of crisis, when countries are faced with large numbers of arrivals or when a third-country or non-State entity tries to instrumentalise migrants in order to destabilise our Union.
The main legal instruments on asylum are:
- Asylum Regulation Procedure (EU) 2024/1347 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and repealing Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;
- Qualification Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU;
- Reception Conditions Directive (EU) 2024/1346 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection;
- Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013;
- Eurodac Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on the establishment of 'Eurodac' for the comparison of biometric data in order to effectively apply Regulations (EU) 2024/1351 and (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 2001/55/EC and to identify illegally staying third-country nationals and stateless persons and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by EU countries' law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes, amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
- Screening Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817;
- Union Resettlement Framework Regulation (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147.
In May 2010, the European Commission presented an action plan for unaccompanied minors (COM(2010) 213 final), who are regarded as the most exposed and vulnerable victims of migration. This plan aims to set up a coordinated approach and commits all EU countries to grant high standards of reception, protection and integration for unaccompanied minors. In December 2011, the European Commission adopted a Communication on 'Enhanced intra-EU solidarity in the field of asylum' (COM(2011) 835 final). This provided proposals to reinforce practical, technical and financial cooperation, moving towards a better allocation of responsibilities and improved governance of the asylum system in the EU, namely through:
- introducing an evaluation and early warning mechanism to detect and address emerging problems;
- making the supporting role of the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) more effective;
- increasing the amount of funds available and making these more flexible, taking into account significant fluctuations in the number of asylum seekers;
- developing and encouraging the relocation of beneficiaries of international protection between different EU countries.
Explore further
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- Residence permits - statistics on first permits issued during the year
Database
- Asylum (migr_asy), see:
- Temporary protection (migr_asytp)
- Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex – quarterly data (migr_asytpfq)
- First instance decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex – monthly data (migr_asytpfm)
- Beneficiaries of temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex – monthly data (migr_asytpsm)
- Decisions withdrawing temporary protection by citizenship and reason – quarterly data (migr_asytpwq)
- Temporary protection (migr_asytp)
- Temporary protection of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyumtp)
- Decisions granting temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex – quarterly data (migr_asyumtpfq)
- Decisions granting temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex – monthly data (migr_asyumtpfm)
- Unaccompanied minors benefiting from temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex – monthly data (migr_asyumtpsm)
- Decisions withdrawing temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship and reason – quarterly data (migr_asyumtpwq)
- Temporary protection of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyumtp)
- Applications (migr_asyapp)
- Asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyappctza)
- Asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyappctzm)
- Persons with asylum applications pending at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asypenctzm)
- Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - annual aggregated data (migr_asywitha)
- Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - monthly data (migr_asywithm)
- Asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure, by age, sex and citizenship - monthly data (migr_asyaccm)
- Applicants having benefited from material reception conditions at the end of the reference year - annual data (migr_asymrca)
- Applications (migr_asyapp)
- Applications of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyum)
- Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asyunaa)
- Unaccompanied minor asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumacta)
- Unaccompanied minors with asylum applications pending at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyumpctm)
- Asylum applications of unaccompanied minors withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumwita)
- Asylum applications of unaccompanied minors withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - monthly data (migr_asyumwitm)
- Unaccompanied minor asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure, by age, sex and citizenship - monthly data (migr_asyumaccm)
- Applications of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyum)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec)
- First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asydcfsta)
- First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asydcftq)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual aggregated data (migr_asywitfsta)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asywitfstq)
- Final decisions in appeal or review on applications by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asydcfina)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review by type of status withdrawn - annual data (asywitfina)
- Resettled persons by age, sex and citizenship - annual data (rounded) (migr_asyresa)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and country of previous residence - annual data (migr_asyrescra)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and decision - annual data (migr_asyresda)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and resettlement framework - annual data (migr_asyrelfa)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec)
- Decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors and resettlement of unaccompanied minors (migr_asydum)
- First instance decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumdcfa)
- First instance decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asyumdcfq)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision to an unaccompanied minor by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumwifa)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision to an unaccompanied minor by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asyumwifq)
- Final decisions in appeal or review on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asyumdcfna)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review to unaccompanied minors by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual data (migr_asyumwfna)
- Resettled unaccompanied minors by age, sex and citizenship - annual data (rounded) (migr_asyumresa)
- Decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors and resettlement of unaccompanied minors (migr_asydum)
Thematic section
Publications
Selected datasets
- Asylum (t_migr_asy), see:
- Asylum and new asylum applicants - monthly data (tps00189)
- Persons with asylum applications pending at the end of the month - monthly data (tps00190)
- Asylum and new asylum applicants - annual aggregated data (tps00191)
- First instance decisions on applications by type of decision - annual aggregated data (tps00192)
- Final decisions on applications - annual data (tps00193)
- Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors - annual data (tps00194)
- Resettled persons - annual data (tps00195)
Methodology
- Applications (migr_asyapp) (metadata file — migr_asyapp_esms)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec) (ESMS metadata file — migr_asydec_esms)
External links
Legislation
- the Qualification Directive 2011/95/EU on standards for the qualification of non-EU nationals and stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection (Summary)
- the Asylum Procedures Directive 2013/32/EU on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection (Summary)
- the Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (Summary)
- the Dublin Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the EU Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or stateless person