The European Union granted protection to 4,37,900 asylum seekers in 2024, up seven per cent on the previous year, the bloc鈥檚 statistics agency said on Friday.
Three countries 鈥� Germany, France and Spain 鈥� accounted for almost two-thirds of the beneficiaries, Eurostat said.
As has been the case for several years, Syrians, Afghans and Venezuelans are the main beneficiaries of protection granted in the 27 member states.
However, many European countries, including Germany, have decided to suspend the examination of asylum applications from Syrians since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.
The European Union is under pressure to tighten the screws on immigration. In recent weeks, Brussels has unveiled proposals to speed up the expulsion of illegal immigrants and limit asylum options available to nationals of certain countries.
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