The number of asylum applications for the first time in the EU countries in 2024 totaled 912,000, down 13% compared to the previous year.
The Syrians were the largest group seeking protection, representing 148,000 candidates for the first time, or 16% of the total of the EU.
They were followed by the Venezuelans, with nearly 73,000 requests and Afghans with just over 72,000.
Hungary has received fewer requests than Liechtenstein
Asylum applications also included 36,000 unaccompanied minors, most of them from Syria (32%), Afghanistan (16%) and Egypt (8%).
A quarter of all requests were submitted to Germany, while the second highest rate was in Spain (18%), followed by Italy (17%), France (14%) and Greece (8%).
The data set also shows extra-elegation countries, such as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway.
Hungary was the country which received the greatest number of requests overall – 25.
Cyprus has the greatest migration pressure
Cyprus, however, faced the highest pressure with 7.2 candidates for the first time for 1,000 people, while the EU average is two.
The country undertook a major rescue at sea last month when a migrant boat carrying at least 20 people capside 45 kilometers off the coast of the Mediterranean island, leaving only two survivors.
The rescue effort took place in the midst of increasing irregular border crossings in the eastern Mediterranean, according to the EU Frontx border protection agency.
In terms of applications for a thousand people, Greece follows Cyprus with 6.6, dragged by Ireland and Spain (3.4 each) and Luxembourg (3.2).
Editor Mert can yilmaz
