In August 2023, the number of first-time asylum applicants in EU countries saw a significant increase compared to the previous year. According to Eurostat, 91,735 non-EU citizens sought international protection, marking a 19% rise from August 2022. Meanwhile, subsequent applicants decreased by 8% to 5,660.
Syrian nationals retained their position as the largest group of asylum-seekers during August 2023, with 18,170 first-time applicants. They were followed by Afghans (9,785), Turks (7,970), Venezuelans (4,805), and Colombians (4,665).
The four countries that received the highest number of first-time asylum applicants were Germany, Spain, France, and Italy, accounting for a significant 68% of all first-time applicants in the EU. Germany led the list, with 29,110 applicants, while Spain received 12,075, France saw 11,495, and Italy registered 10,005.
Calculating the number of registered first-time applicants per hundred thousand people revealed interesting statistics about the distribution across EU countries. Cyprus had the highest rate with 97.0 applicants per hundred thousand people, closely followed by Austria at 72.4. Conversely, Hungary had the lowest rate, recording zero first-time applicants.
In addition to the first-time applicants, the month of August also saw 4,465 unaccompanied minors applying for asylum in EU countries. The majority of these minors came from Syria (1,540) and Afghanistan (1,420). Germany received the highest number of applications from unaccompanied minors, with 1,250, followed by Austria (795) and Bulgaria (735).
It’s important to note that the figures presented here are based on rounded data and are subject to certain limitations. Due to temporary derogations, data on subsequent applications are not available for Cyprus and Sweden. Similarly, data on unaccompanied minor asylum applicants are not available for Cyprus, Poland, and France.
Market Capital Research 