Data extracted on 9 December 2024.
Planned article update: 20 March 2025.
Highlights
EU countries granted protection status at first instance to 90 545 asylum seekers in Q3 2024, down 9.8% compared with Q2 2024 (100 345).
Among persons granted protection status at first instance in the EU in Q3 2024, 44.6% received refugee status, 38.6% were given subsidiary protection and 16.8% received humanitarian status.
Syrians, Afghans and Venezuelans were the main beneficiaries of protection status in the EU in Q3 2024.
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
This article describes recent developments in relation to first instance decisions on applications for international protection in the European Union (EU). It looks at the main trends, including positive and negative decisions, and focuses on the 3 types of positive outcomes: refugee status, subsidiary protection and humanitarian status. It also provides information on the first instance decisions for unaccompanied minors and the number of decisions withdrawing protection status granted at first instance.
Key findings
In Q3 2024, 181 095 first instance decisions were issued in the EU, down 4.1% compared with the previous quarter (188 895) and up 10.0% compared with Q3 2023 (164 655). Out of these first instance decisions, 50.0% were positive (90 545) and 50.0% were negative decisions (90 550) that rejected requests for protection in the EU.
EU countries granted protection status at first instance to 90 545 persons in Q3 2024, which is 9.8% less than in the previous quarter (100 345) and 4.0% more than in Q3 2023 (87 025). This is the fourth highest figure since the peak period (from Q4 2015 to Q2 2017) recorded after the refugee crisis related to the war in Syria (with 211 160 positive first instance decisions in Q4 2016).
Among the asylum seekers granted positive outcomes at first instance in Q3 2024, 44.6% received refugee status (40 350 persons), 38.6% were given subsidiary protection (34 980) and 16.8% received humanitarian status (15 215) (Figure 1). Compared with the previous quarter, the number of refugee statuses granted decreased by 8.2%, subsidiary protection decreased by 10.5% and humanitarian status decreased by 11.9%. Note that refugee status and subsidiary protection are defined by EU law, humanitarian status is specific to national legislation and does not apply in some EU countries.
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
First instance decisions by country of decision
The highest number of asylum seekers who received protection status at first instance in Q3 2024 was reported by Germany (31 635, 34.9% of the EU total), ahead of France (13 455, 14.9%), Spain (10 500, 11.6%) and Greece (9 815, 10.8%). Compared to the previous quarter, there was a 13.8% decrease in Germany, 8.4% increase in France, 2.0% increase in Spain and 7.8% decrease in Greece (Figure 2). All together, these 4 countries granted 72.2% of the protection statuses at first instance in the EU in Q3 2024.
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
The distribution of first instance decisions by outcome (refugee status, subsidiary protection, humanitarian status and rejected) in Q3 2024 varied by country (Figure 3). The percentage of positive decisions was highest in Estonia, Slovakia and Poland. By contrast, no positive decision was issued in Hungary and Portugal, and the lowest number of positive decisions were issued in Cyprus and Czechia.
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
First instance decisions by citizenship of asylum seekers
In Q3 2024, Syrians were the largest citizenship to obtain protection status in the EU (34.8% of all persons granted protection status at the first instance in the EU, 31 525). They were followed by Afghans (16.3%, 14 735), Venezuelans (8.2%, 7 395), Ukrainians (4.1%, 3 705), Somalis (2.9%, 2 645) and Eritreans (2.5%, 2 300) (Figure 4).
Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
Among the top 10 citizenships that received the highest number of first instance decisions in Q3 2024, Syrians had the highest recognition rate (91.9%), followed by Venezuelans (86.1%), Ukrainians (84.9%) and Afghans (77.7%) (Figure 5).
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asydcfstq)
Decisions on asylum applications for unaccompanied minors
In Q3 2024, based on available data, 3 915 first instance decisions on asylum applications lodged by unaccompanied minors were made in the EU, which is 22.1% less than in the previous quarter (5 025).
These decisions resulted in 3 205 unaccompanied minors being granted protection status, down 25.0% compared with the previous quarter (4 275). The recognition rate for unaccompanied minors was 81.9% in Q3 2024.
Among the EU countries, Germany issued the highest number of positive decisions on applications lodged by unaccompanied minors (1 880 decisions, 58.7% of EU total), which is 1.3% less than in the previous quarter (1 905) (Figure 6). Second followed the Netherlands (280, 8.7%), with a decrease of 74.1% compared to the previous quarter (1 080).
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asyumdcfq)
The main beneficiaries of protection status among unaccompanied minors seeking asylum in the EU were Syrians (1 615 persons, 50.5% of EU total) and Afghans (745, 23.3%). Syrian unaccompanied minors had a recognition rate of 98.4% and Afghans 90.0%.
Decisions withdrawing protection status
EU countries may decide to withdraw protection status when new elements or findings arise indicating that there are reasons to reconsider the validity of protection.
In Q3 2024, EU countries took 2 525 decisions withdrawing protection status granted at first instance, up 12.7% compared with the previous quarter (2 240).
The highest number of decisions withdrawing protection status granted at first instance was reported by Germany (585, 23.2% of the EU total), followed by the Netherlands (560, 22.2%), Austria (390, 15.4%), France (290, 11.5%) and Sweden (245, 9.7%). Compared to the previous quarter, there was a 3.5% increase in Germany, 80.6% in the Netherlands, 9.9% in Austria and 22.5% increase in Sweden. By contrast, in France the number of decisions withdrawing protection status granted at first instance decreased by 3.3% (Figure 7).
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Source: Eurostat (migr_asywitfstq)
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
Eurostat produces statistics on a range of issues relating to international migration under the provisions of Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007.
Data are provided to Eurostat with a monthly frequency (for asylum application statistics, including applications by unaccompanied minors), quarterly frequency (for first instance decisions) and annual frequency (for final decisions based on appeal or review and resettlement). The statistics are based on administrative sources and are provided to Eurostat by statistical authorities, ministries of the interior or related immigration agencies in the EU Member States.
Two different categories of persons should be taken into account when analysing asylum statistics. The first includes asylum seekers who have lodged a claim (asylum application) and whose claim is under consideration by the relevant authority. The second is composed of persons who have been recognised, after consideration, as refugees, or have been granted another kind of international protection (subsidiary protection), or were granted protection on the basis of the national law related to international protection (authorisations to stay for humanitarian reasons), or were rejected from having any form of protection.
Statistics on asylum decisions are available for different stages of the asylum procedure. First instance decisions are decisions granted by the respective authority acting as a first instance of the administrative or judicial asylum procedure in the receiving country. By contrast, final decisions on appeal or review relate to decisions granted at the final instance of administrative or judicial asylum procedure and which result from an appeal lodged by an asylum seeker rejected in the preceding stage.
Limitations on data availability affecting the information presented in this article:
- Data for humanitarian status is specific to national legislation and does not apply in some EU countries. They are not applicable for Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Croatia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Portugal and Slovenia.
- Data for unaccompanied minor asylum applicants granted protection status at first instance, are missing for Poland from Q1 2024 and for Switzerland from Q2 2024. EU aggregates have been computed based on available data.
The article presents statistical information on third-country nationals, meaning non-EU citizens (including stateless persons), seeking asylum in the EU and other European countries. Data presented in this publication are rounded to the nearest five. Calculations were performed using rounded numbers.
Context
The 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees (as amended by the 1967 New York Protocol) has, for over 70 years, defined who is a refugee, and laid down a common approach towards refugees, which has been one of the cornerstones for the development of a common asylum system within the EU. Since 1999, the EU has been working towards creating a common European asylum regime in accordance with the Geneva Convention and other applicable international instruments. The Directorate-General Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME) is responsible for developing EU policies on asylum.
The New Pact on Migration and Asylum, presented by the Commission in September 2020, was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2024 and by the Council in May 2024. This Pact provides a common European response to migration. It allows the EU to manage migration in a fair and sustainable way, ensuring solidarity between countries while also providing certainty and clarity for people arriving in the EU and protecting their fundamental rights. The Pact on Migration and Asylum will ensure that countries share the effort responsibly, showing solidarity with the ones that protect our external borders and with those facing particular migratory pressure, while preventing irregular migration to the EU. The Pact also gives the EU and its countries the tools to react rapidly in situations of crisis, when countries are faced with large numbers of arrivals or when a third-country or non-State entity tries to instrumentalise migrants in order to destabilise our Union.
The main legal instruments on asylum are:
- Asylum Regulation Procedure (EU) 2024/1347 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection and for the content of the protection granted, amending Council Directive 2003/109/EC and repealing Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council;
- Qualification Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU;
- Reception Conditions Directive (EU) 2024/1346 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection;
- Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013;
- Eurodac Regulation (EU) 2024/1358 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on the establishment of ‘Eurodac’ for the comparison of biometric data in order to effectively apply Regulations (EU) 2024/1351 and (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 2001/55/EC and to identify illegally staying third-country nationals and stateless persons and on requests for the comparison with Eurodac data by EU countries’ law enforcement authorities and Europol for law enforcement purposes, amending Regulations (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/818 of the European Parliament and of the Council and repealing Regulation (EU) No 603/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
- Screening Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817;
- Union Resettlement Framework Regulation (EU) 2024/1350 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a Union Resettlement and Humanitarian Admission Framework, and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/1147.
The respective annual, quarterly and monthly datasets are available in the Eurostat database.
These data are usually compiled and transmitted to Eurostat by statistical authorities, ministries of the interior or related immigration agencies.
Explore further
Other articles
- Asylum decisions - annual statistics
- Asylum applications - monthly statistics
- Asylum applications - annual statistics
- Temporary protection for persons fleeing Ukraine - monthly statistics
- Statistics on countries responsible for asylum applications (Dublin Regulation)
- Enforcement of immigration legislation statistics
- Residence permits - statistics on first permits issued during the year
Database
- Asylum (migr_asy), see:
- Asylum and temporary protection indicators (migr_asyltpind)
- Asylum indicators (migr_asyind)
- First-time asylum applicants - per thousand persons (migr_asyapp1mp)
- First-time asylum applicants - % of total asylum applicants (migr_asyapp1pc)
- First-time asylum applications of unaccompanied minors - % of total first-time asylum applications of minors (migr_asyapp1up)
- Positive first instance decisions - per thousand persons (migr_asydec1p)
- Asylum decisions at first instance by type of decision - % of total decisions at first instance (migr_asydec1pc)
- Asylum decisions at final instance by type of decision - % of total decisions at final instance (migr_asydecfp)
- Temporary protection indicators (migr_asytpind)
- Beneficiaries of temporary protection by citizenship - per thousand persons (migr_asytpspop)
- Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship - per thousand persons (migr_asytpfpop)
- Asylum and temporary protection indicators (migr_asyltpind)
- Temporary protection (migr_asytp)
- Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asytpfa)
- Decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asytpfq)
- First instance decisions granting temporary protection by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asytpfm)
- Beneficiaries of temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asytpsm)
- Decisions withdrawing temporary protection by citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asytpwq)
- Temporary protection (migr_asytp)
- Temporary protection of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyumtp)
- Decisions granting temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asyumtpfa)
- Decisions granting temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asyumtpfq)
- Decisions granting temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyumtpfm)
- Unaccompanied minors benefiting from temporary protection at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyumtpsm)
- Decisions withdrawing temporary protection to unaccompanied minors by citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asyumtpwq)
- Temporary protection of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyumtp)
- Applications (migr_asyapp)
- Asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyappctza)
- Asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyappctzm)
- Persons subject of asylum applications pending at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asypenctzm)
- Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - annual aggregated data (migr_asywitha)
- Asylum applications withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - monthly data (migr_asywithm)
- Asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure, by age, sex and citizenship - monthly data (migr_asyaccm)
- Applicants having benefited from material reception conditions at the end of the reference year - annual data (migr_asymrca)
- Applications (migr_asyapp)
- Applications of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyum)
- Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asyunaa)
- Unaccompanied minor asylum applicants by type of applicant, citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumacta)
- Unaccompanied minors subject of asylum applications pending at the end of the month by citizenship, age and sex - monthly data (migr_asyumpctm)
- Asylum applications of unaccompanied minors withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumwita)
- Asylum applications of unaccompanied minors withdrawn by citizenship, age, sex and type of withdrawal - monthly data (migr_asyumwitm)
- Unaccompanied minor asylum applicants having had their applications processed under the accelerated procedure, by age, sex and citizenship - monthly data (migr_asyumaccm)
- Applications of unaccompanied minors (migr_asyum)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec)
- First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asydcfsta)
- First instance decisions on applications by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asydcftq)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual aggregated data (migr_asywitfsta)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asywitfstq)
- Final decisions in appeal or review on applications by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asydcfina)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review by type of status withdrawn - annual data (asywitfina)
- Resettled persons by age, sex and citizenship - annual data (rounded) (migr_asyresa)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and country of previous residence - annual data (migr_asyrescra)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and decision - annual data (migr_asyresda)
- Resettled persons by age, sex, citizenship and resettlement framework - annual data (migr_asyrelfa)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec)
- Decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors and resettlement of unaccompanied minors (migr_asydum)
- First instance decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumdcfa)
- First instance decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - quarterly data (migr_asyumdcfq)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision to an unaccompanied minor by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual aggregated data (migr_asyumwifa)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted at first instance decision to an unaccompanied minor by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - quarterly data (migr_asyumwifq)
- Final decisions in appeal or review on applications of unaccompanied minors by citizenship, age and sex - annual data (migr_asyumdcfna)
- Decisions withdrawing status granted as final decision in appeal or review to unaccompanied minors by type of status withdrawn, citizenship and reason - annual data (migr_asyumwfna)
- Resettled unaccompanied minors by age, sex and citizenship - annual data (rounded) (migr_asyumresa)
- Decisions on applications of unaccompanied minors and resettlement of unaccompanied minors (migr_asydum)
Dedicated section
Publications
Main tables
- Asylum (t_migr_asy), see:
- Asylum and new asylum applicants - monthly data (tps00189)
- Persons subject of asylum applications pending at the end of the month - monthly data (tps00190)
- Asylum and new asylum applicants - annual aggregated data (tps00191)
- First instance decisions on applications by type of decision - annual aggregated data (tps00192)
- Final decisions on applications - annual data (tps00193)
- Asylum applicants considered to be unaccompanied minors - annual data (tps00194)
- Resettled persons - annual data (tps00195)
Methodology
- Applications (migr_asyapp) (ESMS metadata file — migr_asyapp_esms)
- Decisions on applications and resettlement (migr_asydec) (ESMS metadata file — migr_asydec_esms)
External links
Legislation
- the Qualification Directive 2011/95/EU on standards for the qualification of non-EU nationals and stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection (Summary)
- the Asylum Procedures Directive 2013/32/EU on common procedures for granting and withdrawing international protection (Summary)
- the Reception Conditions Directive 2013/33/EU laying down standards for the reception of applicants for international protection (Summary)
- the Dublin Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the EU Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or stateless person