Fewer Asylum Seekers & Temporary Protection Beneficiaries in EU During 2024 and Early 2025

The European Union experienced a significant drop in asylum applications in 2024, with temporary protection figures also trending downward. According to official data, 780,280 individuals fleeing Ukraine received temporary protection last year—a 26.1% decrease compared to 2023.

EU Countries with Highest Asylum Application Rates in 2024

In terms of asylum applications per 1,000 inhabitants, Cyprus led all EU countries with 7.2 applicants per 1,000 residents. It was followed by Greece (6.6), and both Ireland and Spain at 3.4 per 1,000.

Nations Granting the Most Temporary Protection Per Capita

When looking at those who received temporary protection relative to population size, Czechia and Slovakia topped the list with 7.1 and 4.8 people per 1,000 respectively, followed by Poland at 4.5 per 1,000.

Top Nationalities Applying for Asylum in the EU

In 2024, the leading nationality groups seeking asylum in the EU included:

• Syrians: 148,185 applicants (16.2% of all applications)
• Venezuelans: 72,790 (8%)
• Afghans: 72,240 (7.9%)
• Colombians: 50,320 (5.5%)
• Turkish nationals: 46,840 (5.1%)

Protection Recognition Rates: Highest & Lowest

Some nationalities experienced notably low first-instance recognition rates in the EU:

• Colombians: 7%
• Georgians, Moroccans, Egyptians: All under 20%

In contrast, applicants from the following countries had recognition rates exceeding 50%:

• Palestine
• Venezuela
• Mali
• Ukraine

Q1 2025: Drop in Asylum Applicants, Slight Uptick in Temporary Protection

Early 2025 data points to a continued decrease in asylum applications and a moderate increase in temporary protection:

• 183,809 first-time asylum applications were lodged in Q1 2025, down 23.5% compared to Q4 2024.
• 136,113 individuals were granted temporary protection in the same quarter, marking a 30.9% increase from the previous period.

On a per capita basis, this translates to:

• 2.0 first-time asylum seekers per 1,000 EU residents in 2024
• 1.7 new temporary protection decisions per 1,000

These figures underline shifting migration dynamics within the EU, highlighting a growing reliance on temporary protection frameworks amid a decline in formal asylum requests.