The number of asylum applications in the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland saw a significant drop in the first half of 2024, with nearly 400,000 new applications recorded by the EU’s Asylum Agency. Germany moved from first to third place in asylum seekers.
Shift in Major Asylum Countries
Nearly 399,500 asylum applications were received in the first six months of the year across all 27 EU member states, Norway, and Switzerland. France led with 78,000 applications, followed by Spain with 77,000, Germany with 70,000, and Italy with 64,000.
New Refugee Countries of Origin
The majority of new asylum seekers no longer came from Syria (25,000), but from Venezuela (49,000) in South America. This shift is attributed to the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. Afghanistan saw 42,000 applications.
Decline in Main Countries
Excluding France, asylum applications decreased in all major destination countries. Germany saw a 43 percent decrease, while Italy and Spain also experienced declines of 25 percent and 13 percent respectively.
Tentative Approval Rates
The approval rate for asylum applications fell to its lowest level in history, with only a quarter of initial requests being granted. Nearly 900,000 applications were still pending at the end of June, with over 1.3 million decisions in process.
Increase in Legal Appeals
In contrast to the overall drop in asylum applications in Germany, the number of legal appeals regarding asylum denials increased. German courts dealt with 76,646 new cases, surpassing the total number of cases in 2023 and nearing the 2024 level.
