75 445 asylum applications in February 2024

In February 2024, 75 445 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, an increase of less than 2% compared with February 2023 (74 295). 

There were also 7 000 subsequent applicants, representing a 7% increase compared with February 2023 (6 540).

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

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

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

In February 2024, the EU total for first-time asylum applicants was 16.8 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 (87.1) and Greece (52.5).

2 555 unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in EU countries

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

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

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