The European Union granted protection to 437,900 asylum seekers in 2024, 7% more than in the previous year, the bloc’s statistics agency said on Friday.
According to Eurostat, almost two-thirds of asylum seekers were in three countries: Germany, France and Spain.
As in recent years, Syrians, Afghans and Venezuelans are the main recipients of protection provided by the 27 member states.
However, many European countries, including Germany, decided to suspend the processing of asylum applications from Syrians after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The European Union is under pressure to tighten its immigration policy. In recent weeks, Brussels has unveiled proposals to speed up the deportation of illegal immigrants and restrict asylum for citizens of certain countries.
