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In 2024, the number of first-time asylum applications across EU member states reached 912,000, reflecting a 13% decline compared to the previous year.
Syrians constituted the largest group of applicants, submitting approximately 148,000 requests and representing 16% of the EU's total. Venezuelan nationals followed with nearly 73,000 applications, closely trailed by Afghan nationals, who submitted just over 72,000.
Hungary recorded the fewest asylum applications among all countries—only 25—placing it behind even Liechtenstein in terms of volume.
The data also highlighted the presence of 36,000 unaccompanied minors among the asylum seekers. The majority of these were from Syria (32%), Afghanistan (16%), and Egypt (8%).
Germany received the highest proportion of applications, accounting for one in four (25%) of all first-time asylum requests within the EU. Spain was the second most common destination, receiving 18% of applications, followed by Italy (17%), France (14%), and Greece (8%). In addition to EU member states, the dataset includes figures from associated non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway.
When measured relative to population size, Cyprus experienced the highest migration pressure, with 7.2 first-time applicants per 1,000 inhabitants—more than three times the EU average of two. Greece followed with 6.6 applicants per 1,000 people, while Ireland and Spain each recorded 3.4, and Luxembourg reported 3.2.
Cyprus was also the site of a significant maritime rescue operation last month, when a migrant vessel carrying at least 20 individuals capsized approximately 45 kilometers off its Mediterranean coast. Only two survivors were found. The incident occurred amid a rise in irregular border crossings in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the EU’s border protection agency, Frontex.
