The highest ratio of registered new asylum seekers to the population among EU member states was recorded in Cyprus in January 2024, according to monthly asylum data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
In particular, compared to the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2023), the highest rates of registered new asylum seekers per 100.000 people in January 2024 were recorded in Cyprus (106,0 per hundred thousand) and Greece (58,7 per hundred thousand).
In comparison, in the same month the total number of new asylum applications in the EU averaged 19,1 per 100 thousand people.
Europe-wide, in January 2024, a total of 85.855 new asylum applications were registered in the EU, recording a 3% increase compared to January 2023 (83.310). The same month also saw 7.180 subsequent applications (applications from people who had previously sought asylum and the application was rejected or the process stopped), recording a 1% decrease compared to the same month last year (7.265).
In Cyprus in January 2024, 975 new applications for asylum and 350 subsequent applications were registered. In relation to January 2023, an increase of 38,3% (from 705) was recorded in new applications. There is no previous data for Cyprus for later applications, as until December the country had no notification obligation based on a relevant derogation.
The largest group of asylum seekers in the EU in January 2024 were Syrians (13.445 new applications), followed by Afghans (7.185), Turks (6.380) and Venezuelans (6.210).
For Cyprus, the largest number of asylum seekers in the same month were Syrians (820 people), followed by Nigerians (20), Iranians (20), Congolese (from DR Congo, 15 people), Bangladesh (15) and Afghanistan (10).
According to the data, in absolute numbers the countries that received the most new applications in January were Germany (26.375 people), Spain (13.705), Italy (12.920) and France (11.620). New applications in these four countries accounted for 75% of all new applications in the EU.
In terms of applications from unaccompanied minors, in January they reached 2.655, with the most unaccompanied children applying for asylum coming from Syria (810 people) and Afghanistan (480 people).
The EU countries receiving the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were Germany (935), the Netherlands (385), Greece (255), Italy (225) and Spain (215).
For Cyprus, as for Poland, there are no data available on new applications from unaccompanied minors.
Source: KYPE