EU+ Asylum Applications Highest Level Since 2016 Crisis

Facts

• Data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) shows that EU+ countries received more than 1.14M applications for asylum in 2023, approximately 18% more than the year prior and the most seen since 2016.¹
• Of the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Switzerland — which constitutes EU+ — Germany received the most asylum applications (334K), followed by France (167K), Spain (162K), and Italy (136K).²
• Syria accounted for 181K of all asylum applications, followed by Afghanistan (114K), Turkey (101K), Venezuela (68K), and Colombia (63K). This was in addition to the effort to give temporary visas to 4.4M Ukrainians.¹
• The EU+ total rate of accepted refugee claims hit a seven-year high of 43%, with its 883K pending cases also rising 39% from 2022.³
• While the EU+ as a whole received one application per 400 inhabitants, some smaller countries endured a disproportionate burden. Cyprus received one in 78, while Belgium and Estonia faced similar per capita issues.¹
• The increase stems from the New Pact on Migration and Asylum, which created uniform EU rules about identification on arrival, a common migrant database, and a 'solidarity mechanism' to 'balance' disproportionality among nations in which asylum seekers make their claims.⁴

Sources: ¹European Union Agency for Asylum (a), ²ABC News, ³European Union Agency for Asylum (b) and ⁴Migration and Home Affairs.

Narratives

• Left narrative, as provided by Guardian. As the presence of anti-migrant radicals continues to grow within the EU, the bloc — founded on the principles of unity and equality — is beginning to lose its historical inclusiveness. It's crucial to restore the EU's moral compass and tolerance of asylum seekers before it's too late. As Europe was once the center of progress and inclusivity, the world will be a worse place if this is forgotten.
• Right narrative, as provided by Europeanconservative. Mass migration is a dangerous and mounting security threat facing all of Europe, as countries are juggling a never-ending tide of asylum seekers. The world is facing crises on multiple fronts — including security threats from Iran, Russia, and China, and climate issues — and that is all the more reason to prioritize the security of European borders and the citizens currently inhabiting them.