Cyprus records high rate of asylum applicants
Cyprus had high asylum seeker application rate, total EU numbers lower.
Cyprus received 29.9 applications from first-time asylum seekers for every 100,000 people in May 2024 compared to its population, according to data published by Eurostat.
The drop in first-time asylum applications in Cyprus between April and May 2024 was more than 80 per cent.
In the EU as a whole, the number of first-time asylum seekers in May was 17.1 per 100,000 people.
According to the same data, compared to the population of each EU country Ireland received the most applications (37.4 per 100,000 people), followed by Greece (33.2), Spain (31.7), and then Cyprus.
A total of 76,795 first-time asylum seekers applied for international protection in EU countries in May 2024, with this number recording a 5 per cent decrease compared to May 2023.
The country with the highest total number of first-time asylum applicants in May 2024 was Germany, which received 24 per cent of all those across the EU.
There were also 6,465 subsequent applicants this May, representing a 12 per cent increase compared with May 2023.
In May 2024, Syrians remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (11,460 first-time applicants). They were followed by Venezuelans (6,170) and Afghans (5,535).
In May 2024, a total of 2,565 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, the largest number of them coming from Syria (790) and Afghanistan (390). Again, Germany received the highest number.
Via The Cyprus Mail
