After reaching about 1.3 million in 2015, the total number of applications for international protection in the EU+ area (EU-27, Norway, and Switzerland) dropped by half in 2017 (see Figure 1). Having decreased in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, these numbers grew again in 2021. In 2023, the EU+ countries received more than 1.1 million asylum applications (from first time applicants) – the highest number since 2016. More than 1 million asylum cases were pending at all instances in the EU+ at the end of 2023.
Applications for international protection
Applications for international protection in the EU+ area (in millions)
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