02
Access to procedures
In 2024, applications for international protection declined by 11%
In 2024, applications for international protection declined by 11% compared to 2023, with just over 1 million applications received by EU+ countries for the second consecutive year (see Figure 1).
Almost four-fifths of all applications in EU+ countries were received by just five countries: Germany (237,000 applications), Spain (166,000), Italy (159,000), France (159,00) and Greece (74,000). When considering asylum applications in relation to population size, Cyprus and Greece received the most applications per capita. However, this does not reflect the number of temporary protection decisions issued by EU+ countries in 2024 (see Box 1).
The Top 5 nationalities of applicants for international protection in EU+ countries remained the same as in 2023: Syrians (151,000 applications), Afghans (87,000), Venezuelans (74,000), Turks (56,000) and Colombians (52,000). With the exception of Venezuelans who lodged a record number of applications, the remaining four citizenships lodged fewer applications than the previous year. While applications decreased for many nationalities beyond the Top 5, other citizenships reached all-time highs, including Bangladeshis (43,000 applications), Peruvians (27,000), Malians (17,000), Senegalese (14,000), Haitians (12,000), Sri Lankans (9,800), Chinese (7,200) and Mauritanians (5,700). In 2024, there was also a record number of Palestinians (12,000 applications) and a related increase in stateless applicants (3,600).
With the continued high inflow of applicants for international protection, national discourses and policies revolved around effectively protecting borders. EU+ countries used a combination of proactive and reactive measures to prevent and manage irregular migration, which at times risked impacting effective access to territory. Such measures included reducing access to territory by allowing entry only through specified border points; creating buffer zones at the borders; intensifying patrolling; and increasing the budget for border protection.
Continuing a trend from past years, some EU+ countries introduced practices to distinguish at the earliest possible time between those in need and those not in need of protection, with the latter being directed to return procedures. Other national initiatives brought together competent authorities in one location to facilitate coordination among authorities and decrease processing times. Despite efforts by national authorities throughout 2024, delays were reported in a number of countries in accessing the asylum procedure, with applicants on certain occasions waiting for months to obtain an appointment to formalise their application.