Asylum applications in Europe fall by almost a quarter in a year
Asylum applications registered in European Union countries, Norway and Switzerland in the first half of 2025 fell by 23 per cent compared to the same period last year, the EU Asylum Agency announced on Monday.
During the beginning of the year, “the European asylum landscape underwent significant changes”, the agency notes in a report.
The decline is a consequence of the overthrow of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in December: for 10 years, Syrians were the largest nationality group among asylum seekers. Their number has fallen by two-thirds in a few months, with Venezuelans now the most represented group.
France received the most applications during this period, around 77,000, just ahead of Spain and Germany. Belgium ranks sixth, with 17,500 applications mainly from Afghanistan, Palestine and Eritrea.
Some 4.3 million Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion are also receiving temporary protection in the EU. This is a separate status from asylum.
Asylum seekers at a crisis shelter in Groningen, the Netherlands, October 2023 © PHOTO VINCENT JANNINK / ANP / AFP
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