A man and a woman are pictured among a large group of people walking through the refugee camp holding a small child in between them by the hand.

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. 

First time asylum applicants in EU countries, 2008-2023. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: migr_asyappctza

Syrian, Afghan, and Turkish – main citizenships of first-time applicants

Syria has been the main country of citizenship of asylum seekers in the EU since 2013. In 2023, Syrians lodged 183 000 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.

Origin of first-time asylum applicants in the EU, 2023, by continent, total and % of total, by country of citizenship with 2% and more of total. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: migr_asyappctza

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.

Highest number of first-time asylum applicants relative to the population in Cyprus

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 1 000 people), ahead of Greece and Austria (each 6).

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

Number of first-time applicants relative to the population, per 1 000 people, 2023. Chart. See link to full dataset below.

Source dataset:  migr_asyapp1mp

For more information

Methodological notes

  • Application for international protection means an application for international protection as defined in the Art. 2(h) of Directive 2011/95/EU, i.e., including requests for refugee status or for subsidiary protection status, irrespective of whether the application was lodged on arrival at the border, or from inside the country, and irrespective of whether the person entered the territory legally (e.g. as a tourist) or illegally.
  • First-time asylum applicant/seeker means a person having submitted an application for international protection or having been included in such an application as a family member, for the first time. Applications submitted by persons who are subsequently found to be a subject of a Dublin procedure are included in the statistics on first-time asylum applicants if such persons are also a subject of first asylum application. A person can be recorded as a first-time applicant only if he or she had never applied for international protection in the reporting country in the past, irrespective of the fact that he or she is found to have applied in another Member State of the European Union.
  • The data are rounded to the nearest 100. 

 If you have any queries, please visit our contact us page.