EU Asylum Applications Drop for First Time Since 2020

The European Union observed a 13% decline in first-time asylum applications in 2024, marking the first decrease since 2020. Data from Eurostat revealed 912,000 applications, with Syrians constituting the largest group. Germany, Spain, Italy, and France received the majority of these applications.

In a notable development, first-time asylum applications to the European Union dropped by 13% in 2024, breaking a pattern of growth since 2020, according to Eurostat. The statistics office reported 912,000 applications from non-EU citizens across the EU's 27 countries, decreasing from over a million in 2023.

As has been the trend since 2013, Syrians represented the largest group of applicants, accounting for 16% of the total first-time requests. Other significant applicant groups hailed from Venezuela and Afghanistan, each making up 8% of the total requests. Notably, asylum requests from Syrians fell by 19.2% compared to the previous year.

Over three-quarters of all asylum applications were submitted in Germany, Spain, Italy, and France. Eurostat also highlighted that unaccompanied minors constituted 3.9% of the total applicants seeking international protection in the EU.

(With inputs from agencies.)