62 085 asylum applications in December 2024

In December 2024, 62 085 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 17% decrease compared with November 2024 (74 485) and a 20% decrease compared with December 2023 (77 750). 

There were also 6 560 subsequent applicants, representing a 6% decrease compared with November 2024 (7 005) and a 15% increase compared with December 2023 (5 680).

In the fourth quarter of 2024, 199 975 first instance decisions were issued in the EU, up 11% compared with the previous quarter (180 965) and up 19% compared with the same period of the previous year (168 505). Out of these first instance decisions, 50% were positive (99 380). 

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

Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm

Syrians remain the largest group of asylum seekers

In December 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (8 345 first-time applicants), followed by Venezuelans (6 345) and Afghans (5 595).

Germany, Spain, Italy and France received 71% of first-time applicants

Germany (12 175), Spain (11 160), France (11 085) and Italy (9 715) continued to receive the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for 71% of all first-time applicants in the EU.

The EU total rate of first-time asylum applicants in December 2024 was 13.8 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 Greece (61.7), ahead of Luxembourg (36.5) and Belgium (25.6).

2 500 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

In December 2024, a total of 2 500 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, most of them coming from Syria (635), Egypt (540) and Afghanistan (295).
The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was Germany (685), followed by Greece (605) and Spain (265).

Positive asylum decisions increased by 10%

In the fourth quarter of 2024, EU countries granted protection status at first instance to 99 380 asylum seekers, up 10% compared with the third quarter of 2024 (90 580).

Among asylum seekers granted protection status at first instance in the EU, 39% received refugee status, 40% were given subsidiary protection and 21% received humanitarian status.
Germany (28 050), ahead of Spain (22 740), France (14 845) and Greece (9 595) issued highest number of positive decisions at first instance. Whereas Syrians (24 320), Afghans (14 535) and Venezuelans (12 475) were the main beneficiaries of protection status in the EU in the fourth quarter of 2024.