EU Asylum Applications Decline Sharply, Driven by Drop in Syrian Requests

EU Asylum Applications Decline Sharply, Driven by Drop in Syrian Requests
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A new report from Al Jazeera, based on data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), reveals a significant 23% drop in asylum applications to the European Union during the first half of 2025. This downturn is largely due to a sharp reduction in applications from Syrians, who had been the largest group of asylum seekers.

The data indicates that monthly applications from Syrians fell from approximately 16,000 in October 2024 to just 3,100 in May 2025. This decrease coincides with the fall of longtime Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad and a new period of stability and reconstruction under the interim government. The UNHCR estimates that over 500,000 Syrians have returned to their country since the change in government.

With the number of Syrian applicants decreasing, Venezuelans have now become the largest group seeking asylum in the EU, driven by their country’s ongoing economic and political crisis. Afghans had the second-highest number of applications. The report also notes a shift in destination countries, with Spain, Italy, and France now receiving more applications than Germany. Overall, EU+ countries received 399,000 asylum applications in the first six months of 2025.