Asylum applications in the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland dropped by 23% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, the EU Agency for Asylum announced on Monday.
The agency noted that the European asylum landscape underwent “significant upheavals” at the start of the year.
This sharp decline is not primarily attributed to recent political changes in the EU, which has been under pressure to tighten its migration policies, according to the agency’s report.
Instead, the drop is largely due to the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, a development that ended Syria’s decade-long position as the top source of asylum seekers.
Within months, the number of Syrian asylum seekers fell by two-thirds, with Venezuelans now representing the largest group.
France received the highest number of applications during this period, about 77,000, just ahead of Spain and Germany. Italy ranked fourth, followed by Greece in fifth place.
Belgium came sixth, handling 17,500 applications, primarily from individuals originating in Afghanistan, Palestine, and Eritrea.
Additionally, around 4.3 million Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion are benefiting from temporary protection in the EU, a status distinct from asylum.
