Data indicates that EU asylum applications falling sharply
Date
1/15/2025 6:13:24 AM
(MENAFN) Asylum applications to the European Union have significantly decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year, according to data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), as reported by Welt am Sonntag. A total of 1 million initial asylum applications were filed across the 27 EU member states, as well as Norway and Switzerland, down from 1.14 million in 2023, marking a 12% decline.
The majority of applicants came from Syria (15%), Afghanistan (8.7%), Venezuela (7.3%), and Turkey (5.5%). Germany continued to be the primary destination for asylum seekers, receiving 235,900 initial applications, although this represented a 30.2% decrease from the previous year, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
Spain, France, and Italy were the next most popular destinations, with 165,300, 158,500, and 154,800 applications, respectively. In contrast, Hungary saw the fewest asylum applications, with just 29 new cases, amid its ongoing disputes with Brussels over immigration policies and its refusal to accept asylum seekers.
Despite the overall drop in applications, some EU countries still face significant pressure from high numbers of applicants. Sweden, for example, granted the fewest residence permits to asylum seekers in 2024, as part of efforts to curb immigration.
The EU has also continued to provide temporary protection to Ukrainian refugees, with around 4.2 million Ukrainians receiving this status by October 2024. The protection scheme has been extended until March 2026, though some EU countries are re-evaluating their capacity to support the ongoing influx of migrants.
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