(Pakistan Point News - 21st Mar, 2025) BRUSSELS, 21st March, 2025 (WAM) – In 2024, 912, 000 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, down by 13% compared with 2023 (1, 049, 500), according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
Syria has been the main country of citizenship of asylum seekers in the EU since 2013. In 2024, Syrians lodged 148, 000 first-time applications (16% of the total number of first-time applications in the EU), followed by Venezuela with 72, 800 applications (8% of the EU total). Afghanistan, which had been the second main country of citizenship for 6 consecutive years, ranked 3rd with 72, 200 applications (8%).
With 229, 700 first-time asylum applicants registered in 2024, Germany continued to be the EU country with the highest number of applicants, accounting for a quarter of all first-time applicants in the EU (25%). It was followed by Spain (164, 000, 18%), Italy (151, 100, 17%), France (130, 900, 14%), and Greece (69, 000, 8%). These 5 EU countries together accounted for 82% of all first-time asylum applicants in the EU last year.
