The Latest Asylum Trends 2024, released by the EUAA, shows inter alia that:

• Applications from Syrians, Afghans, and Turks, each decreased by 17 %, 24 % and 45 %, respectively, compared to the previous year. Despite this decrease, Syrians were still the most common citizenship seeking protection in the EU+.
   
• In 2024, almost half of all applications were lodged by the 37 low recognition rate nationalities i.e. those which in 2024 had recognition rates of ≤20%.
   
• Around a quarter of asylum applications in the EU+ were lodged by nationals of countries with visa-free access to the Schengen area. Venezuelans and Colombians represent the majority of visa-free applicants in the EU+ in 2024.
   
• Despite a declining trend, Germany still received the most applications in the EU+, while Cyprus and Greece received the most applications per capita. 
   
• Ukrainians lodged significantly more asylum applications in 2024 in the EU+, up by 90 % compared to 2023; half did so in France and one-quarter in Poland. 
   
• Cyprus stayed the recipient for the most applications per capita.
   
• In 2024, the EU+ recognition rate remained stable at 42 %, though this aggregate figure masks significant variations across nationalities and a tendency to grant subsidiary protection, rather than refugee status.
   
• The Syrian recognition rate has been above 90% for most of the last two years. However, while recognition rates for Syrians remained relatively aligned among decision-making countries including Greece (90 %), Germany (92 %), and Austria (95 %), there was significant variation in the type of protection granted. Germany for instance gave much more subsidiary protections than Greece.
   
• The Afghan recognition rate stood at 63 % at EU+ level, and there was significant variation across EU+ countries including Belgium (39 %), Germany (41 %), France (67 %), Austria (76%), Switzerland (90 %), and Greece (98 %). However, EU+ countries tended to grant refugee status more often than subsidiary protection.
   
• Citizenships for which the recognition rate was low, include Bangladeshi, Moroccan and Tunisian nationals.

For further details, please read the press release from the EUAA and read the strategic analysis attached below.