Turkish citizens break asylum record

The number of Turkish citizens seeking asylum in European countries is increasing every day. Before the end of 2023, the all-time annual record was broken as of September. According to data from the EU Statistical Office, Eurostat, the number of Turkish citizens who applied for asylum in EU countries for the first time in the first nine months of 2023 exceeded 51 thousand. The previous record was set in 2022 with 48 thousand 615 applications.

Germany has become the country where Turkish citizens apply for asylum the most by a wide margin. Applications made to Germany were influential in the record increase in 2023.

According to provisional data, Germany holds a 69 percent share of all applications with more than 35 thousand applications.

What is the number of Turkish citizens seeking asylum in Europe?

Eurostat's asylum data begins in 2008. Data for some countries for certain years is missing.

The number of Turkish citizens migrating to countries with missing data is quite low. Therefore, it is necessary to accept all these as the “minimum number of asylum seekers” reflected in the data.

Between 2008 and 2015, the number of Turkish citizens who applied for asylum in EU countries for the first time hovered around 4 thousand and did not exceed 5 thousand. After 2016, the year of the July 15 coup attempt, the number of asylum seekers increased rapidly.

While the number of first-time asylum seekers approached the 10 thousand threshold in 2016, this number exceeded 23 thousand in 2019, before Covid-19. In 2022, 48 thousand 615 Turkish citizens applied for asylum in the EU for the first time.

In the summer months of 2023, a record number of applications were made to Germany. This was also reflected in the general total. Although September data for some countries is missing, at least 51 thousand 415 Turkish citizens had applied for asylum in EU countries for the first time as of September 2023. It is considered certain that this number will increase further by the end of the year.

7 out of 10 applications in 2023 were to Germany

Between January and September 2023, 35 thousand 235 Turkish citizens applied for asylum in Germany for the first time. This number corresponds to 69 percent of the total. This means that 7 out of every 10 asylum applications were made to Germany. This rate may drop slightly with the addition of missing data.

Record after record on a monthly basis in Germany

Since the beginning of 2008, the number of first-time asylum applications made by Turkish citizens to Germany on a monthly basis had never reached 5 thousand until 2023. The all-time record was broken in November 2022 with 4 thousand 730 applications.

In 2023, record after record came in monthly applications to Germany. In August 2023, 5 thousand 620 Turkish citizens sought asylum in Germany. Thus, the 5 thousand threshold was exceeded for the first time. A new record came in September. With 6 thousand 440 applications, the 6 thousand threshold was also crossed for the first time.

Have Turkish citizens surpassed Syrians in asylum applications to Germany?

In the January-September period of 2023, 71 thousand 840 Syrians applied for asylum in Germany. The number of Turkish citizens who applied in the same period was 35 thousand 285.

However, if the number of applications made by Turkish citizens continues to increase in this way, it may come to the agenda that Turkish citizens surpass Syrians on a monthly basis.

Turkish citizens are in third place after Syrians and Afghans

In the latest bulletin shared by Eurostat, Turkish citizens rank third in the number of asylum seekers after Syrians and Afghans.

In July, 14 thousand 835 Syrian citizens, 8 thousand 105 Afghans, and 5 thousand 905 Turkish citizens sought asylum in EU countries.