In 2024, Moroccan asylum applications in EU+ countries dropped by 18%, with most filed in Italy, Spain, and Slovenia. Even more telling is the surge in withdrawn applications. In Slovenia alone, Moroccans accounted for over 70% of all withdrawals. Asylum trends across the European Union and associated countries (EU+) hit their highest level since 2017, with 795,000 first-instance decisions issued in 2024, a surge driven by rising applications and ongoing geopolitical tensions. Among those seeking asylum were nearly 25,000 Moroccan nationals, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum's 2025 report. Moroccan nationals ranked tenth among the most common nationalities applying for asylum in EU+ countries last year, with 25,347 applications, an 18% drop from 2023, when 30,924 Moroccans applied for protection. The majority of these applications were submitted in Italy (41%), followed by Spain (17%) and Slovenia (14%). In terms of volume, Moroccan asylum seekers in 2024 were far outnumbered by applicants from Syria, Venezuela, and Afghanistan, the top three nationalities, as well as Colombia, Türkiye, Bangladesh, Peru, Ukraine, and Egypt. Still, Moroccans remained highly concentrated in some national systems. In Slovenia, they made up a striking 63% of all asylum applicants, while in Bulgaria and Slovakia they remained among the top five nationalities seeking asylum. Low recognition rates and high withdrawals Despite their strong presence in several countries, Moroccan applicants saw low protection rates. Italy, which issued 85,000 first-instance decisions, the largest increase across the EU+, registered a high number of rejections for nationals of Morocco, alongside applicants from Egypt, Pakistan, and Tunisia. In Bulgaria and Slovenia, Moroccans accounted for 10% and 33%, respectively, of all first-instance decisions, though few resulted in refugee status. Slovakia stood out as an exception, where 10% of all granted refugee statuses went to Moroccan nationals. Equally striking is the sharp rise in withdrawn applications. Moroccan nationals ranked third in this category, with 5,304 withdrawals recorded in 2024, a 34% drop from the previous year. Slovenia had the highest rate of withdrawals by Moroccans, representing 71% of all withdrawn applications, followed by Switzerland (12%) and Spain (9.2%). By the end of 2024, Moroccan nationals also accounted for 43% of all pending asylum cases in Slovenia.
