86 945 asylum applications in October 2024

In October 2024, 86 945 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, a 24% decrease compared with October 2023 (114 890). 

There were also 7 475 subsequent applicants, representing an 11% increase compared with October 2023 (6 725).

This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat today. 

Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm

Syrians remain the largest group of asylum seekers

In October 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (15 815 first-time applicants), followed by Venezuelans (7 305), Afghans (5 870) and Turks (4 640).

Germany, Spain, Italy and France received 73% of first-time applicants

Germany (20 565), Spain (15 780), Italy (13 715) and France (13 135) continued to receive the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for 73% of all first-time applicants in the EU.

The EU total rate of first-time asylum applicants in October 2024 was 19.4 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 (79.4), ahead of Cyprus (51.3).

3 295 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

A total of 3 295 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, with most of them coming from Syria (1 095) and Afghanistan (450).

The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was Germany (1 010), followed by Greece (445), Spain (340), the Netherlands (325) and Belgium (295).