In total, 2,849 requests were registered in 2024, while in 2023 there were 3,083, with the majority of cases referring to Senegal (15%), Gambia (14%) and Colombia (9%), according to the Annual Report on the Situation of Asylum in the European Union.

Of these requests, 785 cases were denied, an increase of 500% compared to 2023, when only 131 requests were denied.

“Although the number of applications fell by 11% in 2024, the EU+ countries [European Union, Norway and Switzerland] received more than one million applications for international protection for the second year running,” the annual report states.

“In addition, 4.4 million displaced people from Ukraine were under temporary protection in Europe, which put continued pressure on national asylum and reception systems,” the authors stated.

On the other hand, “almost four-fifths of all applications in EU+ countries were received by just five countries: Germany (237,000 applications), Spain (166,000), Italy (159,000), France (159,000) and Greece (74,000)”, with Portugal ranking 18th in the entire EU+.

And if asylum applications are analysed in relation to population size, “Cyprus and Greece received the highest number of applications per capita”, with Portugal ranking in the bottom half of the ranking.

“The top five nationalities of applicants for international protection in EU+ countries remained the same as in 2023: Syrians (151,000 applications), Afghans (87,000), Venezuelans (74,000), Turks (56,000) and Colombians (52,000)”, the report also states.