76 795 asylum applications in May 2024

In May 2024, 76 795 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, a 5% decrease compared with May 2023 (80 455). 

There were also 6 465 subsequent applicants, representing a 12% increase compared with May 2023 (5 755).

This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article on monthly asylum statistics.

Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm

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

In May 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (11 460 first-time applicants). They were followed by Venezuelans (6 170) and Afghans (5 535). 

Germany received the highest number of first-time applicants

Germany (18 175) continued to receive the highest number of first-time asylum applicants in May 2024, accounting for 24% of all first-time applicants in the EU. 

In May 2024, the EU total of first-time asylum applicants was 17.1 per hundred thousand people. Compared with the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2024), the highest rates of first-time applicants were recorded in Ireland (37.4), followed by Greece (33.2), Spain (31.7) and Cyprus (29.9).

2 565 unaccompanied minors applying for asylum 

In May 2024, 2 565 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, with most of them coming from Syria (790) and Afghanistan (390).

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was Germany (1 010), ahead of the Netherlands (360).