Slump in applications

Number of asylum seekers in the EU fell in July

The number of people who applied for asylum in the European Union (EU) fell significantly in July. With 74,695 people applying for asylum in the EU for the first time, there was a decrease of 7.5 percent compared to July 2023, as announced by the European statistics authority Eurostat on Monday. 

In Austria, there were 1,540 first-time applications for international protection in July this year, 70.9 percent fewer than a year earlier. At that time, there were 5285 initial applications according to asylum statistics from the Ministry of the Interior.

Most initial applications in Greece and Ireland
In terms of population size, Greece and Ireland received the most first-time applications in July this year. Across the EU, there was an increase in subsequent applications - i.e. applications from people who have already undergone an asylum procedure in an EU country. In July, there were 7,145 applications, an increase of 26.2 percent compared to the previous year.

Most asylum seekers come from Syria
Syrians continue to make up the largest group with 12,295 initial applications. They are followed by people from Afghanistan (6030) and Venezuela (5170). The situation is similar for the 2,985 unaccompanied minors who applied for asylum for the first time in July. Almost 900 of these come from Syria, 470 from Afghanistan and 345 from Egypt.