Asylum applications rise by 7 pct in EU countries in '24 - Eurostat

BRUSSELS, April 25 (KUNA) -- EU countries granted protection status to 437,900 asylum seekers in 2024, marking an increase of 7 percent, compared to 2023, when 409,530 asylum requests were approved.
The EUآ’s statistics office, Eurostat, said in a press release published on Friday that among these individuals, 42 percent were granted refugee status, 39 percent were given "subsidiary protection" status, and 19 percent received "humanitarian status".
The number of those granted refugee status rose by 6 percent, compared to 2023, while the rate of subsidiary protection rose by 19 percent, and humanitarian status declined by 9 percent.
Eurostat reported that the highest number of people granted protection status was recorded in Germany, with 150,500 people granted the protection status constituting 34 percent of the EU total, followed by France with 15 percent, where 65,230 people received protection. Spain ranked third with 12 percent, granting protection status to 50,915 individuals.
Eurostat underlined that these three countries together accounted for 61 percent of all protection statuses granted at the EU level.
Syrians, Afghans, and Venezuelans topped the list of main beneficiaries of the protection granted in 2024 across the 27 EU member states, according to Eurostat.
The European Commission presented earlier this month proposals to speed up the deportation of illegal migrants and to reduce asylum options available to nationals of certain countries, by publishing a preliminary list of countries it considers safe in order to accelerate the rejection of asylum applications. (end) arn.mt