Asylum applications in the EU grow to 75,445 in February 2024

Brussels – In February 2024, 75,445 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in EU countries, an increase of less than 2 per cent compared to February 2023 (74,295).

There were also 7,000 applicants who reapplied after an initial rejection, an increase of 7 per cent from February 2023 (6,540).

This information comes from monthly asylum data released today by Eurostat.

Syrians, Afghans, and Venezuelans remain the largest groups of asylum seekers

In February 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of asylum seekers (10,465 first-time applicants). They were followed by Afghans (6,950) and Venezuelans (5,800).

Germany, Spain, Italy and France take in 75 percent of all first-time asylum seekers

Germany (19,490), Spain (13,600), Italy (13,345) and France (10,205) continued to receive the largest number of first-time asylum seekers, accounting for 75 per cent of all first-time applicants in the EU.

In February 2024, the total number of first-time asylum seekers in the EU was 16.8 per hundred thousand people. Compared to the population of each EU country (as of January 1, 2023), the highest rates of first-time applicants were in Cyprus (87.1) and Greece (52.5).

2,555 unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in EU countries

As of February 2024, 2,555 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, most of them from Syria (710), Afghanistan (470), Egypt (145), Somalia (135) and Guinea (110).

The EU countries that received the most asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were Germany (1,025), the Netherlands (385), Spain (240), Greece (215) and Italy (190).