Decline in Asylum Applications Across Europe
Asylum applications registered in European Union countries, Norway, and Switzerland during the first half of 2025 fell by 23 percent compared to the same period last year, the EU Asylum Agency announced on Monday. The agency notes that “the European asylum landscape underwent significant changes” at the beginning of the year, reports 24brussels.
The decline in applications is primarily attributed to the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, resulting in a two-thirds reduction in the number of Syrian asylum seekers, who previously represented the largest nationality group among applicants. Venezuelans now comprise the most significant demographic of asylum requests.
France received the highest number of applications during this period, with approximately 77,000 submissions, followed closely by Spain and Germany. Belgium ranks sixth, processing around 17,500 applications, largely from individuals hailing from Afghanistan, Palestine, and Eritrea.
Additionally, about 4.3 million Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion have been granted temporary protection within the EU. This status differs from traditional asylum protections.
Asylum seekers at a crisis shelter in Groningen, the Netherlands, October 2023 © PHOTO VINCENT JANNINK / ANP / AFP
