73 445 asylum applications in March 2024

In March 2024, 73 445 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, a 12% decrease compared with March 2023 (83 915). 

There were also 7 050 subsequent applicants, representing a 6% decrease compared with March 2023 (7 475).

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, Afghans and Venezuelans remain the largest groups of asylum seekers

In March 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (10 470 first-time applicants). They were followed by Afghans (5 735) and Venezuelans (5 440). 

Germany, Italy, Spain and France receive 75% of all first-time applicants

Germany (16 430), Italy (15 115), Spain (13 255) and France (10 540) continued to receive the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for 75% of all first-time applicants in the EU.

In March 2024, the EU total of first-time asylum applicants was 16.4 per hundred thousand people.

Compared with the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2023), the highest rates of first-time applicants were recorded in Cyprus (124.0) and Greece (36.0).

2 340 unaccompanied minors applying for asylum 

In March 2024, 2 340 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, with most coming from Syria (785) and Afghanistan (325).

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

The EU countries that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were Germany (920) and the Netherlands (455).