Generally, countries have a legal and moral obligation under international law not to return asylum seekers to danger. 

Asylum requests in some countries have been growing steadily. But in some, it has dropped. 

This visualization shows the number of asylum seekers across the OECD countries, based on data from the OECD International Migration Outlook published in 2025. 

TL;DR

• As of 2024, there were 3.07 million asylum applications across the OECD countries ( a 13% jump from the previous year)
• The United States alone accounts for 54.8% of those applications, making it the leading destination for asylum seekers. 

In the table below, you see the changes in the number of asylum seekers between 2019 and 2024.  

Why the U.S Processes More Asylum Applications

The most striking finding here is that the U.S. processed 1,683,933 asylum applications in 2024, which is 54.8% of all OECD asylum applications. 

This is a staggering 459% increase from 2019 (301,070). In just five years, U.S. asylum applications increased 5.6-fold.

Why is this happening, though? 

The U.S.-Mexico border crisis has transformed into a full-blown asylum processing bottleneck. 

The Biden administration expanded asylum processing pathways (CBP One app, humanitarian parole programs for Venezuelans, Cubans, Haitians, and Nicaraguans), which paradoxically increased formal applications. 

Additionally, geopolitical crises (Ukraine, Venezuela, Central America’s gang violence, and Afghanistan) created unprecedented displacement toward the U.S.

This creates a shadow population of asylum seekers living in legal limbo, unable to work legally in many states, straining local resources.

Türkiye went from being a host to a transit

Türkiye processed 9,010 applications in 2024  (a 53% fall from 2023), which is a dramatic collapse for a country hosting 3.6 million Syrian refugees (the world’s largest refugee population).

This means that Türkiye is no longer a destination; it’s a transit country. 

Erdoğan’s government has grown hostile to Syrian presence, with forced deportations and discriminatory policies. 

Syrians/Afghans in Turkey now see it as temporary before moving to Europe. 

The asylum numbers reflect only those formalizing status, not the millions living informally.

Erdoğan faces nationalist pressure to deport Syrians, despite Turkey’s geographic position making it a perpetual buffer zone.

Who Pays for Asylum Processing?

Processing over 3 million asylum applications annually across the OECD costs $15-20 billion (housing, legal aid, adjudication, integration programs). 

Countries with high per capita rates face fiscal strain:

• Greece spends around 2% of its GDP on migration/asylum
• Germany spends around €25 billion annually (which is about 0.6% GDP)
• The United States spends around $18 billion (USCIS, ICE, HHS refugee programs)

For taxpayers, this is a visible cost. 

In Germany, asylum seekers receive €450-500/month in benefits plus housing. In Canada, asylum seekers have access to social housing and healthcare. 

Political backlash grows when citizens see resources diverted, especially during economic downturns.

Recall that Donald Trump’s return to the presidency (January 2025) followed a campaign promising mass deportations and ending asylum pathways.

ELI5: Top OECD Destinations for Asylum Seekers 

Asylum seekers are people forced to leave their home country due to threats of persecution, war, violence, or human rights violations. 

Among OECD countries, the U.S processes the most asylum applications. In 2024, there were 1.68 million applications, or 4,888 asylum seekers per million population. 

Processing backlogs now exceeds 3 million cases, with wait times of 5-7 years. 

This creates a shadow population of asylum seekers living in legal limbo, unable to work legally in many states, straining local resources.

Sources:

OECD International Migration Outlook | American Immigration Council | Refugees International | Info Migrants