EU: First-time asylum applications up 20% in 2023

 In 2023, 1,048,900 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, up by 20% compared with 2022 (873, 700), according to figures published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, WAM reports. 

After a considerable drop in 2020 (417,100), the numbers increased for 3 consecutive years almost reaching the peaks registered in 2015 and 2016 (1, 216, 900 and 1,166,800) following the war in Syria.

Syria has been the main country of citizenship of asylum seekers in the EU since 2013. In 2023, Syrians lodged 183000 first-time applications (17% of the total number of first-time applications in the EU).

Afghanistan was the second main country of citizenship for the six consecutive year (100,900, or 10% of the EU total).

Applicants from Türkiye accounted for 9% of the EU total with 90 000 applications and those from Venezuela and Columbia each represented 6% with 67 100 and 62 000 applications.

With 329,000 first-time asylum applicants registered in 2023, Germany continued to be the EU country with the highest number of applicants, accounting for almost one third of all first-time applicants in the EU (31%). It was followed by Spain (160, 500, 15%) and France (145,100, 14%), ahead Italy (130,600, 12%). These 4 EU members together accounted for almost three-quarters (73%) of all first-time asylum applicants in the EU last year.

Compared with the population of each EU country, the highest number of registered first-time asylum applicants in 2023 was recorded in Cyprus (13 first-time applicants per 1000 people), ahead of Greece and Austria (each 6).

In 2023, in the EU, there were 2 first-time asylum applicants per 1,000 people.