Asylum applicants in the EU jumped to more than 625 000 in 2014 (Eurostat)

This News Release covers main trends on asylum applications and first instance decisions on asylum applications for the complete 2014 year in the EU28+EFTA region.

Some key messages in the data:

  • The number of asylum applicants in the EU jumped to more than 625 000 in 2014.
  • Over a year, the number of asylum applicants registered in the European Union (EU) has increased by 191 000 (+44%)
  • Syrians (122 800 applicants) represented 20 per cent of all asylum seekers in the EU-28
  • Afghanis (41 300 applicants, or 7% of total applicants) and Kosovans (37 900, or 6%) the second and third top citizenships of asylum seekers in the EU
  • 1 out of 3 asylum seekers in the EU applied in Germany
  • In Italy (+143%) and Hungary (+126%) the number of asylum applicants more than doubled in 2014 compared with 2013
  • 360 000 first instance decisions were taken in the EU in 2014, nearly half of them were positive
  • Syrians were the main recipients of protection statuses in the EU in 2014

The press release can also be read in French and German through the following link:

This year the News Releases is accompanied by further publications 

Publication Date: Fri 20 Mar 2015
Geography:
Keywords:
Main theme:
Commissioner:
News type: