EU member states granted 7 percent more asylum last year
Germany welcomed by far the most asylum seekers. Our eastern neighbors offered asylum or another form of international protection to over 150,000 people last year. France follows in second place with more than 65,000 recognitions, and Spain in third place with nearly 51,000.
After these three countries, Greece, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, and Belgium follow, with Belgium providing protection to 16,465 people according to the European statistical office. About ten member states offered protected status to fewer than a thousand people. The laggards Portugal and Hungary had no more than 10 and 15 people, respectively.
Like in previous years, most people with protected status came from Syria (32 percent). After the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the end of last year, several member states have suspended the processing of applications from Syrians. Afghans (17 percent) and Venezuelans (8 percent) complete the top three countries of origin.
In total, the 27 member states made 940,000 decisions on asylum cases last year. In the first instance, 387,635 asylum seekers were positively assessed, resulting in a recognition rate of 51 percent. At the end of the procedure, after appeal or review, over 50,000 more people were added, resulting in a recognition rate of 27 percent.
In 42 percent of the positive assessments, the applicants were granted refugee status. 39 percent received humanitarian protection, and 19 percent were granted protected status for humanitarian reasons.
The asylum figures rose in 2024 for the third consecutive year. However, the inflow is still significantly smaller than during the refugee crisis of 2016, when approximately 700,000 people received protection in the EU.
