1. In 2024, the EU+ received around a million applications for asylum for the third consecutive year. Nevertheless, a slight decrease compared to 2023 reflected deviation from the typical seasonal pattern in the second half of the year.
2. Syrians lodged fewer applications than the year before but were still the most common citizenship seeking protection in the EU+.
3. Despite a declining trend, Germany still received the most applications in the EU+, while Cyprus and Greece received the most applications per capita.
4. At the end of 2024, there was a near-record number of cases awaiting a first instance decision.
5. The recognition rate remained stable but with a tendency towards granting subsidiary protection rather than refugee status.
6. At the end 2024, there were about 4.4 million beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU+ who fled Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Half were hosted in Germany and Poland, but Czechia hosted the most beneficiaries per capita.
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In 2015–2016 more than a million migrants and asylum seekers arrived in the EU in what has become known as the refugee crisis, which has since dominated much of the policy landscape in the EU. During this time, applications for asylum skyrocketed in the EU+ (EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland). The chart illustrates these two years of extreme pressure on EU+ asylum and reception authorities, which were followed by several years of reduced applications, even to below half a million in 2020 when COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions radically reduced global mobility. However, since that time applications for asylum have increased to more or less a million applications per year since 2022, with just over a million lodged in 2024. Importantly, in 2024 there was an annual decrease by 11%, concentrated in the second half of the year as the trend in applications deviated from the typical seasonal pattern.
In addition to international protection, in December 2024 around 4.4 million persons displaced from the Russian invasion of Ukraine were receiving temporary protection in the EU+. This number has not changed markedly over the last two years, but it significantly contributes to the overall number of people in the EU+ with protection needs. Further information on forced displacement from Ukraine can be found in the recently released EUAA Survey of Arriving Migrants from Ukraine: Movements and Returns Report, which also features a contribution by Gradus Research based in Kyiv. Read also Voices in Europe, a joint report based on the personal testimonies of over 1,500 respondents. Details on court cases related to the Temporary Protection Directive are available in the EUAA Analysis of Case Law.
These concurrent trends — asylum applications and displaced persons from Ukraine — are placing considerable pressure on EU+ asylum and reception systems, reflected at the end of 2024 by near-record numbers of pending asylum first instance cases, and EUAA operational assistance being provided to 11 EU Member States.
At the end of 2024, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) took-over of Syria overthrowing the Assad regime and marking a significant shift in both the country’s stability and the broader regional dynamics. Throughout 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of asylum applicants in the EU+, lodging 151,000 applications and accounting for 15% of the total. However, this represents a 17% decrease compared to 2023. For more detailed information, refer to the latest EUAA country of origin information reports on Syria - Country Focus, its Security situation, and Country Guidance which outlines the key elements of qualification for international protection.
Following the fall of the Assad regime on 8 December 2024, the United Nations reported that approximately 270,000 Syrians had returned to their country by early January 2025. However, UNHCR has reiterated its call for states to refrain from forcibly returning Syrian nationals, citing persistent vulnerabilities and humanitarian concerns. In response to the political upheaval, several EU Member States have temporarily suspended the processing of Syrian asylum claims, pending further stabilisation. Nevertheless, Syrian nationals remain able to submit applications, so the number of pending cases is likely to increase over the short term.
Afghan asylum applications have shown a predominantly downward trend since 2022. In 2024, Afghan nationals lodged approximately 87,000 applications, representing a 24% decrease compared to 2023. Read an EUAA Country Focus report on the general security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, plus Country Guidance, which delves into key elements of qualification for international protection.
In 2023, the number of Turkish nationals seeking international protection in the EU+ surged to unprecedented levels, briefly making them the second-largest nationality among all asylum applicants. However, this Germany-centred increase was short-lived, as the number of Turkish applicants declined significantly in the following months. In 2024, Turkish asylum applications fell by nearly a half, totalling approximately 56,000 applications and placing Turkish nationals as the fourth-largest group among all asylum seekers in the EU+.
According to UNHCR, ongoing conflict in the Central Sahel region (Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, and Niger)—exacerbated by the escalating climate crisis—has displaced over 5.5 million people. This displacement has coincided with record numbers in migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands, surpassing the numbers recorded even during the 2006 Cayuco crisis. In 2024, Spanish authorities reported approximately 47,000 migrant arrivals to the Canary Islands, with Frontex identifying this as the busiest migratory route into the EU towards the end of the year. Malian and Senegalese nationals were the most frequently detected, which was reflected in a sharp increase in asylum applications from both nationalities. In 2024, Malians lodged approximately 17,000 asylum applications in the EU+, more than double the number recorded in 2023. Similarly, Senegalese nationals submitted 14,000 applications, also twice the number recorded the previous year.
Typically, around a quarter of asylum applications in the EU+ are lodged by nationals of countries with visa-free access to the Schengen area, which means they can arrive on flights directly from their home countries. Spain tends to receive the largest share of such applications, with visa-free nationals usually accounting for three quarters of its total inflow. Venezuelans and Colombians represent the majority of visa-free applicants in the EU+: in 2024, Venezuelans submitted a record number of applications (74,000), ranking third among all nationalities, while Colombians lodged 52,000 applications, ranking fifth. Peruvian nationals also applied in significant numbers, with 27,000 applications in 2024. However, unlike Venezuelans and Colombians, most Peruvians have been applying in Italy (58%) rather than Spain (38%). This trend is impactful to the extent that, in 2024 Peruvians were the number two citizenship lodging applications in Italy. In response to challenges and linked to high numbers of unfounded asylum applications, in October 2023, the European Commission proposed revisions to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 to strengthen the visa suspension mechanism, potentially allowing the EU to temporarily suspend visa exemptions in response to increased irregular migration or security risks from visa-free countries. In December 2024, the Commission published its seventh report to the European Parliament who will soon vote on the revised mechanism.
Since March 2022, persons displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been eligible for temporary protection in the EU+. By the end of 2024, approximately 4.4 million people were benefiting from this type of protection, which has been extended to March 2026. The majority of beneficiaries were in Germany (1.1 million) and Poland (1 million), with relatively few in France (59,000). Overall, numbers of beneficiaries have not been changing significantly last year, but an increasing number of Ukrainians have also been applying for international protection in the EU+. In 2024 as a whole, Ukrainians lodged 27,000 applications, which is up by 90% compared to 2023, almost back to the level seen in 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. These increased asylum applications were concentrated in France, where in 2024 half of all Ukrainian applications were lodged, followed by Poland with a quarter.
It is worth noting that in 2024, almost half of all applications were lodged by the 37 low-recognition rate nationalities i.e. those which in 2024 had recognition rates of ≤20% (read more in the recognition rates section).[1]
In 2024, repeated applications—those submitted in the same receiving country after a final decision has been made on a previous application—accounted for 8% of all asylum applications. This proportion has remained relatively stable, though there is significant variation among nationalities. For example, applicants from visa-free Latin American countries—including Venezuelans, Colombians, and Peruvians—tend to have low levels of repeated applications (typically 1%-2%), suggesting that most are newly arrived in the receiving country. In contrast, certain other nationalities exhibit higher rates of repeated applications, indicating a longer presence in the host country. In 2024, among the 20 main nationalities Nigerians had the highest rate of repeated applications (24%), followed by Georgians (17%) and Iraqis (14%). That said, the trend of multiple repeated applications was geographically concentrated. For example, Nigerian applicants most frequently lodged repeated applications in Italy and France, while Georgians did so primarily in France, Germany and Belgium, and Iraqis in Germany, Sweden and Belgium.
Notes
[1] Precisely, 48% of all applications pertained to nationalities in the low-recognition rate group. Nearly 200 citizenships were issued asylum decisions in 2024, but many in very small numbers which can lead to unstable or misleading recognition rates. Of the 200, 65 citizenships were issued at least 1,000 decisions and among them 37 had recognition rates of ≤20%.
The chart above provides a comprehensive overview the 20 nationalities lodging the most asylum applications in 2024 (blue), smoothing out month-to-month fluctuations by comparing with 2023 (yellow). Syrians and Afghans lodged the most applications for asylum during both years and both with decreases of -17% and -24%, respectively. The same can be said for Turkish nationals who lodged just over half as many applications in 2024 compared with 2023.
At the level of the whole EU+, only Ukrainian and Malian nationals lodged significantly more applications in 2024 compared to 2023 among the top 20 nationalities, registering a 90% and a 129% increase over this time period. The next largest increase was +17% for Peruvians. However, figures at the EU+ level can conceal important changes taking place within individual EU+ countries: click here for an interactive chart.
For example:
- In Germany, Syrians (-24%), Afghans (-32%) and Turks (-51%) all lodged far fewer applications year on year.
- In Spain fewer Colombians (-25%) lodged asylum applications, but many more Malians (+726%) and Senegalese (+254%).
- In Italy, increasing numbers of Bangladeshis (+43%) and Peruvians (+108%) sought protection, whereas far fewer Pakistanis (-28%) and Egyptians (-35%) lodged applications.
- In France the number of Ukrainian (+278%) applications increased dramatically between years, as did the number for Haitians (+165%) seeking protection, which contrasts with declining numbers of Afghans (-31%).
In 2024, Germany maintained its position as the foremost destination for asylum seekers in the EU+, receiving 237,000 applications or 23% of all applications lodged in the EU+. This, despite Germany receiving 29% fewer applications compared to the year before.
Nearly a third of all applications in Germany were lodged by Syrian nationals, followed by Afghans (14%) and Turks (13%). These three citizenships also featured highly in the asylum landscape in Greece, but elsewhere in the EU+, countries received applications from very different citizenships. In fact, there is a notable lack of overlap in the nationalities of asylum seekers across the main receiving countries in the EU+.
For example, Spain (166,000), Italy (159,000) and France (159,000) received rather similar numbers of asylum applications in 2024, each at around 16% of all applications lodged in the EU+, yet their caseloads differed substantially in terms of the nationalities of applicants.
- Spain: Venezuelan and Colombian nationals dominated asylum applications, together accounting for two thirds of all applications lodged in 2024.
- Italy: Bangladeshi nationals were the largest group of applicants, making up 21% of all applications, followed by Peruvians, who accounted for 10% of the total.
- France: Unlike Spain and Italy, no single nationality dominated the asylum caseload. Instead, applications were more evenly distributed among several citizenships, with Ukrainians, Afghans, Haitians and Congolese (DR) each representing 6–9% of all applications.
Evaluating which EU+ countries tend to receive the most applications for asylum is important but to some extent a simple like-for-like comparison is not appropriate because the EU+ countries vary wildly in terms of the size and capacity of their asylum and reception systems. As a rough measure of their overall capacity and a more nuanced estimation of the pressure exerted on national authorities, this analysis takes into account the number of asylum applications lodged per million inhabitants (Eurostat population data).
In 2024, Cyprus, despite its small population of approximately 934,000, received 6,800 asylum applications. This equates to over 7,200 applications per million inhabitants, or 1 application for every 138 inhabitants— the highest rate in the EU+. Similarly, Greece recorded a comparable rate, exceeding 7,000 applications per million inhabitants, or 1 application per 141 residents. While Germany received the highest absolute number of applications (237,000), its larger population of 83 million resulted in a lower per capita rate of over 2,800 applications per million inhabitants, or one application per 352 residents. Ireland and Spain, despite receiving vastly different numbers of applications in total (19,000 and 166,000, respectively), experienced similar per capita pressure, with each country receiving just over 3,400 applications per million inhabitants.
At the EU+ level, the total population of 464 million and 1 million asylum applications in 2024 translate to nearly 2,200 applications per million inhabitants, or one application per 457 residents.
Hungary stands out among EU+ countries for receiving an exceptionally low number of asylum applications in 2024, with only 29 applications lodged despite a population exceeding 9.5 million—10 times that of Cyprus. This is likely due to Hungary's special rules for the asylum procedure which requires applicants to submit a letter of intent at a Hungarian diplomatic mission in a non-EU country prior to their entry to Hungary and application for asylum (No 233/2020 (V.26). In June 2024, the European Court of Justice fined Hungary for breaching EU asylum rules. For more information consult the EUAA National Asylum Developments Database.
In addition to asylum applications, at the end of 2024, approximately 4.4 million individuals were benefiting from temporary protection in the EU+. This figure has remained relatively stable since early 2023 but continues to significantly contribute to the overall number of people in the EU+ with protection needs.
Temporary protection is granted under the 2001 Temporary Protection Directive, which was activated for the first time in 2022 in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, enabling the rapid and effective provision of assistance to those displaced to the EU+. For further details, refer to the EUAA report on the Application of the Temporary Protection Directive.
At the end of 2024, nearly half of all beneficiaries of temporary protection were in Germany (1.2 million) and Poland (just under 1 million, based on Eurostat data). To provide comparative context alongside asylum application inflows, this chart illustrates the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection per capita across EU+ countries.
For instance, Czechia hosted approximately 389,000 beneficiaries, equating to 36,000 per million inhabitants, or 1 beneficiary for every 28 residents. Meanwhile, Slovakia and Cyprus had significantly different absolute numbers of beneficiaries (132,000 and 22,000, respectively) yet exhibited similar per capita distributions, with each hosting 1 beneficiary per just over 40 residents.
The Council of the EU has extended temporary protection for people fleeing Russia's aggression against Ukraine until 4 March 2026. Read more here.
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Over the past two years, the recognition rate—which reflects the percentage of asylum applicants granted refugee status or subsidiary protection—has fluctuated around 40% at first instance, with refugee status usually being granted more frequently than subsidiary protection. In 2024, the recognition rate remained stable at 42%, as shown in this chart, though this aggregate percentage masks significant variations across nationalities and a tendency to grant subsidiary protection rather than refugee status.
Recognition rates vary widely by citizenship. For instance, Syrian applicants had a recognition rate of 90%, while Afghan applicants were granted protection in 63% of cases in 2024. In contrast, Turkish applicants had a much lower recognition rate at 17%. Despite these differences, recognition rates for some nationalities have remained relatively stable over time. For example, in 2024, Georgian and Bangladeshi applicants continued to have recognition rates of approximately 4%, aligning with long-term trends.
Some nationalities however have been granted protection at rates which have evolved over time, not only in the percentage of decisions that grant protection but also the types of protection that are granted. These include:
- Turks: The recognition rate has been in steady decline from 54% in 2019, to just 17% in 2024.
- Syrians: The recognition rate has been above 90% for most of the last two years with most decisions granting subsidiary protection rather than refugee status. Indeed, refugee status accounted for just 28% of all decisions issued to Syrians in 2024.
Read EUAA Country Guidance on Syria, Syria - Country Focus and the following EUAA COI reports on specific topics: Security situation, Targeting of individuals, and Socio-economic situation. - Afghans: The recognition rate was 63% in 2024 which is more or less in line with the last three years. However, an increasing proportion were granted refugees status, from 19% of all decisions in 2019 to 54% in 2024.
Read EUAA Country Guidance on Afghanistan, Afghanistan - Country Focus and the following EUAA COI reports from 2022 on specific topics: Targeting of Individuals, Security Situation, Key socio-economic indicators and Major legislative, security-related, and humanitarian developments.
It is worth noting that out of all citizenships issued a substantial number of decisions more than half had a low recognition rate ≤20%.[2] This low-recognition rate group accounted for two fifths of all first instance decisions and comprised applicants from various regions, including visa-exempt countries in Latin America, the Western Balkans, the EU Eastern Partnership, North Africa, several Asian countries and some Sub-Saharan countries.
Context:
It should be noted that some applicants, especially those from Venezuela, Peru, Colombia and to a lesser extent from Afghanistan, are often granted national (rather than international) forms of protection which are unregulated at the EU level and are therefore considered as negative asylum decisions in these statistics. Also, the recognition rates presented here are based on first instance decisions issued by asylum authorities and thus do not account for cases decided by the judiciary and other authorities at second or higher instance i.e. in appeal and review.
The aim of EUAA’s work is to foster a harmonised implementation of the Common European Asylum System across the EU so as to reach a situation where an application for international protection would receive the same decision, no matter where it was lodged. Recognition rates, the percentage of asylum applications that receive decisions granting refugee status or subsidiary protection, are sometimes cited as an indicator of the level of such harmonisation between EU+ countries.
It is important to recognise that several objective factors may lead to variations in recognition rates. The complexity of an asylum application and its examination cannot be reduced to a single measure such as the nationality of the applicant. Differences in the underlying profile of the applicant, national jurisprudence and national policies, and the application of certain legal concepts also come into play and can result in different recognition rates. For more information, read the EUAA Pilot Convergence Analysis which focuses on the main factors leading to variations in recognition rates as well as on measures to achieve greater convergence. Irrespective of underlying causes, this chart illustrates recognition rates across the EU+ for various citizenships. In each column, individual circles of the same colour represent different issuing countries, with the size of each circle reflecting the number of decisions issued, and their placement on the vertical axis indicating the corresponding recognition rate—namely, the percentage of decisions that granted refugee status or subsidiary protection.
In 2024, the EU+ recognition rate for Afghans stood at 63%, although as illustrated in this chart, recognition rates varied significantly across receiving countries (leftmost column of black circles). Germany, which processed the largest number of Afghan asylum applications (represented by the largest circle, labelled in the chart), had a recognition rate of 41%. However, it is important to note that Germany also granted a national form of protection to 46% of Afghans who were issued decisions, which is classified here as a negative decision for international protection. When including these national protection grants, the adjusted (‘inclusive’) recognition rate for Afghans in Germany rises to 87%, and the inclusive EU+ recognition rate reaches 82%. Recognition rates also varied significantly across other key receiving countries. In 2024, France granted protection to 67% of Afghan cases, compared to 90% in Switzerland, 98% in Greece, and just 39% in Belgium. The latter is partially related to many decisions issued to repeated Afghan applicants in Belgium. To visualise some of the discussed decision-making practices, click here and to learn more read EUAA Country Guidance on Afghanistan and EUAA Country Focus on Afghanistan.
In 2024, the recognition rate for Syrians stood at 90%, exhibiting somewhat more consistency across receiving countries compared to Afghans. Among the main decision-making countries, recognition rates remained relatively aligned, with Germany at 92%, Greece at 90% and Austria at 95%.
However, while the EU+ recognition rate for Syrians appears more consistent, it does not differentiate between refugee status and subsidiary protection. A closer examination of first-instance decisions reveals notable variations in decision-making practices across key countries: estimated ratios between refugee status and subsidiary protection varied among the main decision-making countries, from 9:1 in Germany (strongly favouring subsidiary protection) compared to 7:3 in the Netherlands, 3:7 in Austria (favouring refugee status) and even 10:0 in Greece (all refugee status). A key distinction between these two forms of protection is that refugees are generally eligible for family reunification, whereas beneficiaries of subsidiary protection often are not. To visualise some of these decision-making practices, click here. Despite these variations in decision types, the similar overall recognition rates across EU+ countries suggest a broadly consistent assessment of the general protection needs of Syrian applicants. For more information read the latest EUAA Country Guidance on Syria which provides an in-depth analysis of the situation in Syria, focusing on the key elements of qualification for international protection.
While an asylum application is awaiting a first instance decision, it remains part of the caseload of applications under examination by the asylum authorities, commonly referred to as first instance pending cases. The number of pending cases serves as a key indicator that reflects the workload faced by national authorities and the strain on national asylum systems, including reception systems. At the end of December 2024, the number of pending cases stood at 981,000 – more than double the number between 2017 and 2021 and among the highest on record, surpassed just once in 2024 and during the peak of the refugee crisis in 2016.
In general, citizenships lodging the most applications tend to have the most cases awaiting decisions. For example, at the end of 2024, Syrians, Colombians and Venezuelans had the largest volumes of first instance pending cases (109,000, 97,000 and 93,000, respectively) together representing close to a third of the total. Several citizenships had many more cases pending than a year ago. These included Venezuelans (+58%), Bangladeshis (+45%), Peruvians (+55%), Guineans (+40%) and Ukrainians (+42%).
In the aftermath of the fall of President Assad regime in December 2024, several EU+ countries temporarily suspended (fully or partially) the processing of asylum applications from Syrian nationals citing the need to reassess the situation on the ground before making informed decisions. At the end of 2024, there were 109,000 Syrian asylum cases awaiting first instance decisions across EU+ countries. This caseload is anticipated to grow, as applications continue to be accepted but are not processed or concluded. UNHCR urges nation states to refrain from forcibly returning Syrian nationals until a comprehensive assessment of the situation confirms that it is safe to do so.
It is worth noting that at the end of 2024, 57% of all pending cases pertained to the 37 low-recognition rate nationalities i.e. those which in 2024 had recognition rates of ≤20%.
Context: EU+ asylum authorities are under pressure to increase their decision making, and do so often with the operational support of the EUAA. Despite these efforts, decision making has not kept pace with the number of applications being lodged. As a consequence, we estimate that the total number of cases awaiting a decision at the end of November 2024 (including those in appeal or review) increased to around 1.3 million (Eurostat). Within this total, we conclude that about three quarters (77% or 980,000) of cases were pending at first instance, while the remaining quarter (23% or 298,000) were awaiting decisions at second or higher instances.
The Survey with Asylum-related Migrants (SAM) is an operational tool designed to collect testimonies directly from people seeking international protection across the EU+. The project uses online, self-administered surveys that can be completed on smartphones and offers the possibility to survey large numbers of migrants at the same time. The objective of SAM is to collect data on push and pull factors, travel histories, or and migrants’ future aspirations. Understanding these drivers both facilitates general preparedness to deal with a high number of arrivals but also to better inform operational partners about the needs and expectations of migrants.
On 11 April 2022, the EUAA launched the Survey of Arriving Migrants for Displaced People from Ukraine, with the support of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The questionnaire was updated in February 2023 to include additional topics. Demographics of the responses since February 2023, as of 31 December 2024, are shown in the dashboard, but for more detailed information read the latest EUAA Movements and Returns report and the Voices report, drafted in collaboration with OECD and Gradus Research based in Ukraine.
Analysis of over 8,200 responses collected between February 2023 and December 2024 from displaced Ukrainians in the EU+ shows that the main barrier to employment in the host country was no or low proficiency in the local language, followed at a distance by lack of childcare and unrecognised qualifications. Some 43% of all respondents intended to return to Ukraine: indeed, a quarter were determined to return, while 17 % were leaning towards returning. Importantly, these return intentions have decreased significantly over time, down from 52% in 2023 to 31% in 2024. Concerns about safety and security in Ukraine and its economic prospects were the main barriers to returning. Additionally, many respondents cited better opportunities for themselves and their families in host countries as a key reason for staying.
The SAM-UKR survey is ongoing and accessible in Ukrainian, Russian and English at: https://tellusyourstorysurvey.eu/.
For more information on SAM and on other projects related to displacement from Ukraine, access the following reports:
Surveys of Arriving Migrants from Ukraine: Movements and Returns Report
This Movements and Returns report uses 7,600 surveys to highlight the prevailing themes related to movements to the EU, intra-EU, and returns.
Providing Temporary Protection to Displaced Persons from Ukraine
The report covers national developments in the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive, from crisis measures to changing legislation and practices.
This Migration Research Series paper highlights four research projects employed by the EUAA that seek to understand displacement from Ukraine to the European Union.
Voices Europe experiences hopes and aspirations forcibly displaced persons Ukraine Executive Summary
This report highlights the prevailing themes emerging from forced displacement, drawn from the personal testimonies of over 1,500 respondents participating in the ongoing Survey of Arriving Migrants from Ukraine.
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*Blank fields are indicative of EU+ countries not reporting on certain indicators
**Low values are rounded to the nearest 5
| Country code | EU+ country | Authority | Disclaimer |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT | Austria | Federal Ministry of the Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| BE | Belgium | Office of the Commissioner-General for Refugees and Stateless Persons (CGRS) |
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| BG | Bulgaria | State Agency for Refugees | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| CH | Switzerland | State Secretariat for Migration | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| CY | Cyprus | Asylum Service, Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| CZ | Czechia | Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| DE | Germany | Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) | National and EUAA data should be aligned for all indicators, but there may be differences for some breakdowns. Relocated applicants aren't considered in national statistics. In national statistics withdrawn applications are included in otherwise closed cases ("sonstige Verfahrenserledigungen"). Some first-instance decisions that in EUAA statistics are considered as negative decisions, in national statistics are classified as otherwise closed cases. |
| DK | Denmark | The main causes to differences between national statistics and EUAA EPS data is the group of cases included in the statistics. For example, national statistics for asylum includes both first- and final-instance determinations and both applications, determinations in appeal, reopened cases and determinations in review. | |
| EE | Estonia | European Police and Border Guard Board (in Estonian only) | In general, the data should not differ, there may be cases where the data is corrected afterwards. The small difference with Eurostat data is due to the fact that Eurostat rounds the data. |
| ES | Spain | Ministry of Interior |
|
| FI | Finland | Immigration Service | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| FR | France | Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| FR | France | French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| GR | Greece | Asylum Service | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| HR | Croatia | Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| HU | Hungary | National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| IE | Ireland | International Protection Office | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| IT | Italy | Department of Civil Liberties and Immigration, Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| LT | Lithuania | Migration Department, Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| LU | Luxembourg | Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs | National indicators do not include children born on the Luxembourgish territory during the asylum procedure of its parents, while those children are included in the EUAA statistics. Another reason for differences can be adjustments of the data that are carried out retrospectively on the provisional data provided to EUAA. |
| LV | Latvia | Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| MT | Malta | International Protection Agency | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| NL | Netherlands | Immigration and Naturalisation Service (IND) | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| NO | Norway | Directorate for Immigration (in Norwegian only) |
Applications: National indicators are based on the date of making the applications. The revised numbers for 2022 count persons strictly. So if one person applied for both international protection and TPD only one is counted. The pseudo-algorithm for withdrawals are disregarded compared to other statuses. If a person have multiple TPDs only, the first one is counted. The same for multiple applications for international protection.
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| PL | Poland | Office for Foreigners | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| PT | Portugal | Immigration and Borders Service | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| RO | Romania | General Inspectorate for Immigration | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| SE | Sweden | Migration Agency | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| SI | Slovenia | Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
| SK | Slovakia | Ministry of Interior | No major differences are expected between national and EUAA data. If discrepancies occur, they could be the result of differences in the timing of data extraction, the scope of data definitions, collection methodologies and/or retrospective revisions. |
Definitions
Asylum applications include all persons who have lodged or have been included in an application for international protection as a family member in the reporting country during the reporting month.
EU+ refers to the 27 European Union Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland.
First instance decisions include all persons covered by decisions issued on granting EU-regulated international protection status (refugee or subsidiary protection) following a first time or repeated application for international protection in the first instance determination process.
Stock of pending cases includes all cases for which an asylum application has been lodged and are under consideration by the national authority responsible for the first instance determination of the application for international protection (until the first instance decision has been issued) at the end of the reference period (i.e. last day of the reference month). It refers to the “stock” of applications for which decisions at first instance are still pending.
The EU+ recognition rate includes EU-regulated forms of protection (refugee status and subsidiary protection) and excludes national protection forms (humanitarian reasons). It is calculated by dividing the number of positive first instance decisions (granting refugee status or subsidiary protection) by the total number of decisions issued.
Low-recognition-rate citizenships refers to citizenships that were issued decisions that granted either refugee status or subsidiary protection in ≤20% of cases. To ensure statistical reliability, we excluded citizenships that received fewer than 1,000 decisions annually. This exclusion is necessary because, when the sample size is very small, even one or two additional positive or negative decisions can dramatically alter the calculated recognition rate, potentially leading to unstable or misleading estimates.
This page is produced by EUAA’s Situational Awareness Unit (SAU) based on monthly data exchanged under the Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS). The data shared with the EUAA by EU+ countries are provisional and unvalidated and, therefore, may differ from validated data submitted to Eurostat at a later stage under Regulation (EU) 2020/851. Trends analysed here focus on the top 20 citizenships applying for asylum in the focal year.
Date of release: 03 March 2025