Latest Asylum Trends

Overview

Applications

Trends

Over the last two years, EU+ countries (EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland) experienced increased asylum applications with notable surges in the autumns of 2022 and 2023. This trend peaked in October 2023 when 123,000 were applications lodged, a level reminiscent of the refugee crisis in 2015-2016. In fact, by the end of 2023, some 1.1 million applications had been lodged in the EU+ marking an 18% increase from the previous year, and the most for seven years. During the winter months of 2023-2024, there was a general decline in asylum applications, with the level in May 2024 remaining rather stable with 85,000 applications received in the EU+. Such a decrease is typical for the winter months which usually deter journeys towards the EU+, especially those involving dangerous sea crossings. The rather stable level of applications in the spring is also in line with seasonal expectations.

Additionally, in May 2024 around 4.4 million persons displaced from the Russian invasion of Ukraine were receiving temporary protection, significantly adding to the overall number of individuals in the EU+ with protection needs. For more details on forced displacement from Ukraine, read the latest Voices in Europe, a joint report which highlights prevailing themes based on the personal testimonies of over 1,500 respondents. These concurrent trends – the surge in asylum applications and the number of displaced persons from Ukraine – are exerting immense strain on the EU+ asylum and reception systems. National authorities are being pushed to their limits as they strive to accommodate and safeguard those in need.

In May 2024, Syrians, consistently at the forefront of asylum applications in the EU+, lodged 12,000 applications. This number is stable compared to the previous month but is down by a significant margin compared to the seven-year peak of October 2023. For the last few years, Syrians have lodged applications in seasonal trends peaking each autumn. For more information, read the latest EUAA reports on Syria, its Security situation and Country Guidance which focusses on the key elements of qualification for international protection.

Afghans continued to be the second largest nationality group despite lodging almost continuously fewer applications since late 2023. Read an EUAA Country Focus report on the general security and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, plus Country Guidance which focusses on the key elements of qualification for international protection.

In the autumn of 2023, Turkish nationals suddenly sought international protection in the EU+ in unprecedented numbers such that for a short time they ranked second among all citizenships applying for asylum. However, this Germany-centred surge was short-lived with far fewer Turks seeking protection in subsequent months. In May 2024, Turks lodged just 3,900 applications, fewer compared to the peak and even compared to a year previously in May 2023.

Repeated applications, those lodged after a final decision has been taken on a previous application, accounted for 7% of all applications in 2023. This level continues to be reasonably stable, but there is much variation among citizenships. Some groups of applicants such as visa-free Latin Americans (Venezuelans, Colombians and Peruvians) have low levels of repeated applications (generally 1%-2%), which can imply that the applicants are newly arrived in the receiving country. This contrasts with other citizenship groups such as Nigerians who exhibit higher levels of repeated applications (23% in May 2024) and therefore must have been present in the receiving country already for some time. In fact, it’s not uncommon for Nigerians to lodge more repeated applications in Italy than first-time applications (see chart).

Since March 2022, individuals displaced by Russia's invasion of Ukraine have been eligible for temporary protection in the EU+. By the end of May 2024, approximately 4.4 million people were benefiting from this protection, which was recently extended to March 2026. The majority have settled in Germany (1.3 million) and Poland (1 million), with notably few in France (63,000). Despite their eligibility for temporary protection, over the past six months or so more Ukrainians have been applying for international protection in the EU+. In May 2024 alone, Ukrainians lodged 2,400 applications, the highest number since the initial wave of mass displacement back in March 2022. Surprisingly, this trend has mostly been taking place in France, where in May 2024 a half of all Ukrainian applications were lodged, followed by Poland with a fifth of all Ukrainian applications. (see chart).

In recent months there has been a surge of boat arrivals in the Canary Islands leading to increased levels of deaths and shipwrecks. From January to May 2024, Frontex reported the most detections of illegal border-crossings on the Western African route since records began, up four-fold compared to the same period in 2023. According to these data, Malian and Senegalese nationals were the most commonly detected, leading to a commensurate increase in the number of asylum applications. In May 2024, Malians lodged a non-trivial 1,800 applications for asylum in the EU+ which is a near-record level and up three-fold compared to a year earlier, while Senegalese lodged 1,200 applications which is up nearly three-fold over the same period. Naturally this increased asylum caseload was reported by Spain, but these nationalities also continued to lodge applications in Italy and France.

Spain is also a focal point for a distinct asylum trend related to regular rather than irregular migration. For a while now, Venezuelans and Colombians have been seeking protection in Spain in large numbers. These Latin American nationals benefit from visa-free access to the Schengen area which means that they can arrive on flights from their home countries. In May 2024 they continued to lodge significant numbers of asylum applications in the EU+: 6,800 Venezuelan applications and 4,900 Colombian. The vast majority of these were submitted in Spain, accounting for 92% of Venezuelan and 79% of Colombian applications, with nearly all being first-time applications, possibly indicating that the applicants were newly arrived in the EU+. Applicants from Peru have also been seeking asylum in notable numbers, with 2,700 applications in May 2024. Unlike Venezuelans and Colombians, more Peruvians are now applying in Italy (60%) rather than in Spain (36%, see chart), to such an extent that in May 2024 they were the number two citizenship in Italy. In response to challenges linked to visa-free travel and the high numbers of unfounded asylum applications, the European Commission proposed strengthening the visa suspension mechanism in October 2023.

Recently, Spain has also started taking steps towards regularising half a million undocumented migrants who have been living in Spain since 2021, most of whom are from Africa and Latin America. The law will not only allow them to live and work in Spain legally but also enable them to pay taxes, contribute to social security, and access healthcare, education and other public services. Read more here.

Main citizenships

To eliminate month-to-month fluctuations, the above chart offers a comprehensive overview of the asylum application trends of the top 20 nationalities in May 2024, over the last 12 months (yellow) in comparison to the preceding 12 months (blue). Syrians and Afghans lodged the most applications for asylum during both of these time periods. However, Syrian applications increased considerably (+27%), whereas Afghan applications declined by 19%.

Most citizenships in the chart exhibited an upward change in their application numbers, which is to some extent a statistical artefact because nationalities with declining trends are more likely to fall out of the top 20, while those with increasing trends tend to rise into the ranking. Nevertheless, it is notable that Malians and Senegalese both lodged more than twice as many applications in the 12 months leading up to May 2024.

In contrast, Georgians, Tunisians and Pakistanis lodged applications that fell by significant margins between the two reporting periods (-35%, -31% and -24% respectively).

Per receiving country

In May 2024, Germany remained the top destination for asylum seekers in the EU+, receiving 19,000 applications or 22% of the total. Spain followed closely with just above 16,000 applications (19% of the total), while Italy was at a near-record high of just below 16,000 applications (18%). Despite Germany's historical lead receiving the most asylum applications, it has experienced a decline in recent months, whereas the opposite has been occurring in Italy where record numbers of applications were lodged a few months ago in March 2024. Other differences between the main receiving countries include the nature of the caseloads. For example, there is a remarkable lack of overlap between the citizenships who tend to apply in these three main receiving countries: in Germany more than half of all applications were lodged by Syrians, Afghans and Turks; in Spain more than two thirds were lodged by Venezuelans, Colombians and Malians; and in Italy 40% of all applications were lodged by Bangladeshis, Peruvians and Pakistanis.

Adding to localised patterns, certain citizenships tend to lodge the vast majority of their asylum applications in a single EU+ country. In May 2024, most Venezuelans (92%), Colombians (79%) and Malians (67%) lodged their applications in Spain. Similarly, most Bangladeshis (84%), Tunisians (70%), and Egyptians (64%) submitted their applications in Italy.

Uniquely among EU+ countries, Hungary received fewer than 5 applications for asylum in May 2024. Controversially, third-country nationals seeking protection in Hungary can only apply after submitting a declaration of intent at a Hungarian embassy in a non-EU country. In December 2020, the European Court of Justice held that Hungary failed to comply with the rules of EU law on procedures for granting international protection and returning illegally staying third-country nationals. In June 2024, the court re-confirmed that the Hungarian practice continues to infringe on EU law.

Per capita

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 chart illustrates the number of asylum applications lodged per million inhabitants (Eurostat population data).

In May 2024, Ireland, with a population size of around 5.3 million received 2,000 asylum applications. This amounts to a rate of 381 applications per million population or 1 application for every 2,600 inhabitants. Notably, applications in Ireland were at near record levels in May 2024 due to increased numbers of Jordanians and Palestinians as well as Nigerians. Germany may have received many more applications for asylum (19,000) but, given its larger population of 84 million, the German rate was lower, at 222 applications per million inhabitants or 1 application per 4,500 inhabitants. Switzerland and Italy, while receiving very different numbers of applications per se (2,400 and 16,000, respectively) actually received very similar numbers per capita, at just over 260 applications per million population.

Taking the whole EU+ into consideration: its population of 463 million and 85,000 asylum applications received in May 2024 converts into 184 applications per million population or about 1 application for every 5,400 persons.

In addition to asylum applications, at the end of May 2024, there were also 4.4 million persons benefiting from temporary protection in the EU+. This protection is based on a 2001 Directive which was triggered for the first time in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 with the aim of offering quick and effective assistance to people displaced to the EU+. At the end of May 2024, half of all beneficiaries of temporary protection were either in Germany (1.3 million) or Poland (1 million). For context and to allow comparisons with the inflow of asylum applications, the chart above can also be used to illustrate the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection per capita being hosted in each EU+ country. In Czechia, there were about 33,000 beneficiaries per million inhabitants, which amounts to one beneficiary for every 30 inhabitants, followed by Lithuania, Poland and Estonia (at approximately 25,000 – 27,000 beneficiaries per million or 1 beneficiary for every 37 – 41 inhabitants).

Recently the European Commission proposed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia's aggression against Ukraine for another year, from 5 March 2025 to 4 March 2026. Read more here.

Recognition Rates

First instance

Time series per citizenship

Over the past two years, the recognition rate, which reflects the percentage of asylum applications that receive decisions granting refugee status and subsidiary protection, has fluctuated around 40% at first instance, with slight increasing trend since the second half of 2023. In May 2024, the recognition rate was 45% at first instance, but Italian decisions have been momentarily excluded because of a technical issue. In any case, there remains much variation and trends between and within citizenships.

It is worth noting that recognition rates for most of the main citizenships differ wildly from each other but in themselves tend to remain relatively stable over time. For example, in May 2024, Nigerians continued to have a recognition rate of around 7% which is in line with long-term trends. However, there are exceptions to this general observation:

Iraqis: The recognition rate peaked in late 2022 and then again and even more so in October 2023. Since then, the recognition rate has once more been decreasing except for a recent increase to 31% in May 2024. Read EUAA Country Focus on Iraq and Iraq Security Situation.
Turks: The recognition rate has been in remarkably steady decline for more than the last two years to just 18% in May 2024.
Syrians: The recognition rate has been above 90% for most of the last two years but there has been a trend favouring decisions granting subsidiary protection over refugee status. Indeed, refugee status accounted for just 29% of positive decisions in May 2024.
Read EUAA Country Guidance on Syria, Syria - Country Focus and the following EUAA COI reports Security situation, Targeting of individuals, Socio-economic situation and Major human rights, security and humanitarian developments
Afghans: The recognition rate has been steadily increasing over much of the last two years. In May 2024, it stood at 62%, compared around 50% at the beginning of 2023.
Read EUAA Country Guidance on Afghanistan, Afghanistan - Country Focus and the following EUAA COI reports from 2022 Targeting of Individuals, Security Situation, Key socio-economic indicators and Major legislative, security-related, and humanitarian developments

Context

It should be noted that some applicants, especially those from Venezuela and to a lesser extent from Afghanistan, tend to be 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, these recognition rates are based on first instance decisions issued by asylum authorities and do not account for cases decided by the judiciary and other authorities at second or higher instance i.e. in appeal and review. Read more about recognition rates at second and higher instances in 2023 in the EUAA Factsheet no 26 2024.

Across receiving countries

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 latest 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, the chart presented here 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.

Between March and May 2024, the EU+ recognition rate for Afghans stood at 67% but as the chart shows, there was much variation between receiving countries (leftmost column of black circles). Most decisions were issued by Germany (the biggest circle, labelled) where the March – May 2024 recognition rate stood at 48%. However, it is important to note that Germany also issued many decisions to Afghans granting a national form of protection (44% of all first instance decisions, counted here as negative decisions for international protection), which would push up the ‘inclusive’ recognition rate to 92%. Greece also issued many decisions to Afghans with a March – May 2024 recognition rate of 98% compared with 69% in France, 81% in Switzerland and 39% in Belgium. Read EUAA Country Guidance on Afghanistan and EUAA Country Focus on Afghanistan.

In contrast, the recognition rate for Syrians (92%) exhibited much tighter consistency among receiving countries. Among the countries issuing the most decisions to Syrians, Germany had a March – May 2024 recognition rate of 92%, Austria 95% and Greece 85%. However, it is important to note that, while the EU+ recognition rate for Syrian cases might be fairly consistent between decision making countries, this metric does not differentiate between refugee status and subsidiary protection. Closer inspection reveals much variation in first instance practices for Syrian applicants: ratios between refugee status and subsidiary protection varied from 1:9 in Germany (heavily in favour of subsidiary protection) compared to 7:3 in Austria (in favour of refugee protection) and even 10:0 in Greece (heavily in favour of refugee status). In any case, the similar EU+ recognition rates at least suggest a more consistent assessment of general protection needs among Syrians across these EU+ countries. 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. 

Pending Cases

Research

The Survey of Asylum-related Migrants (SAM) is a multi-country project designed to collect testimonies directly from people seeking international protection across the EU+. Based on the premise that digital literacy is increasingly prevalent, 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 primary objective of SAM is to establish a permanent system of collecting standardised, reliable and comparable data on relevant topics, such as push and pull factors, travel histories and migrants’ future aspirations. Understanding these drivers both facilitates general preparedness to deal with a high number of arrivals but also helps to better inform policymakers.

On 11 April 2022, the EUAA launched the Survey of Arriving Migrants for Displaced People from Ukraine (SAM-UKR), 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 30 June 2024, are shown below but for more detailed information read the latest EUAA Employment and Education factsheet.

The 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:

2023 temporary protection year in review

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.

Surveys of Arriving Migrants from Ukraine

This Employment and Education factsheet provides information from the updated SAM - UKR survey on reception and registration for displaced persons from Ukraine.

Forced displacement from and within Ukraine

This report brings together the results of desk research and survey projects carried out by the EUAA, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to detail forced displacement from and within Ukraine.

Challenges and opportunities in rapid situational awareness of Ukrainian displacement to the European Union: Some methodological insights

This Migration Research Series paper highlights four research projects employed by the EUAA that seek to understand displacement from Ukraine to the European Union.

Cover of the Report Voices in Europe: Experiences, hopes, and aspirations of forcibly displaced persons from Ukraine

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.

Data Tables

By EU+ country

*Blank fields are indicative of EU+ countries not reporting on certain indicators

**Low values are rounded to the nearest 5

By country of origin

National statistics and EUAA data

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)	On the national website of the CGRS, decisions issued after the initial decision was annulled by the appeal board are included as first instance decisions (as they can be appealed again). These decisions are not included as first instance decisions by EUAA. Applications and decisions made in the framework of resettlement are included on the website of the CGRS. The protection rate on the website of the CGRS is a calculation based on the number of files (cases including accompanied children) and not individual persons. The official national data on applications for international protection are also published on the website of Immigration Office (International protection \| IBZ) and Eurostat (where there is a separate dataset for applications in the framework of resettlement) Data provided to the EUAA are operational data provided to EUAA within short timeframes, and there might be minor differences with the final validated data.
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	Ministry of Immigration and Integration The Danish Return Agency	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	National indicators are disaggregated by sex, citizenship and age group but there are no breakdowns for first versus subsequent applications, accompanied and unaccompanied minors or to identify decisions based on Dublin closures or relocations. The national indicator on pending cases does not contain breakdowns for the duration of pending plus it only includes applications that have passed the admission phase so national totals are likely to be lower than the EPS indicator on pending cases. The national indicator on withdrawn applications does not have a breakdown for explicit versus implicit withdrawals. The national indicator on 1st instance decisions does not have a breakdown for the duration of procedure. There is no national indicator on otherwise closed cases. National indicators include other information beyond the scope of the EPS indicators, such as provinces and and type of locations where applicants lodged their applications and main recognition rates.
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. Decisions issued: National indicators are based on the most recent decision at first instance before the case is transferred to second/final instance. For example, if a person receives a decision of implicit withdrawal and then re-appears, and receives another decision this decision will be reported in the statistics. We use the same logic to Eurostat, but the first deicion is reports to EUAA."
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

Country code glossary

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 month.

Date of release: 24 July 2024