First-time asylum applicants in EU countries
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). 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.
This information comes from data on asylum applicants published by Eurostat today. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained article.
A third of EU asylum applications was made in Germany
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.