EU asylum applications drop 23% in first half of 2025
Asylum applications in the EU and associated countries fell sharply in the first six months of 2025, marking the first significant decline in years, according to new data released by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).
Between January and June, 399,000 asylum applications were submitted across the EU+, which includes the 27 EU member states as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. This represents a 23% decrease compared to the same period in 2024.
The decline was driven largely by a two-thirds drop in applications from Syrians, who submitted only 25,000 requests. For the first time in more than a decade, Syrians were no longer the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe.
Venezuelans rose to the top of the list with 49,000 applications—a 31% increase year-on-year—following the fall of the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria last December. Afghans were the second-largest group with 42,000 applications, while Ukrainians recorded 16,000, up 29%.
The shift also changed the map of asylum destinations in Europe. France (78,000) and Spain (77,000) both received more applications than Germany (70,000), which has long been the primary destination for asylum seekers. Italy followed with 64,000 applications, while Greece registered 27,000.
Applications dropped sharply in Germany (–43%), Italy (–25%) and Spain (–13%), but remained steady in France, the EUAA noted.
The agency also highlighted that roughly a quarter of all applications came from citizens of countries with visa-free access to the Schengen Area, especially Venezuelans and Colombians. In response, the European Parliament is set to vote next month on proposals to strengthen the EU’s visa suspension mechanism.
