Overview

• The EU Asylum Agency reported 399,000 applications from January to June, down 114,000 from a year earlier.
• Monthly Syrian applications fell from roughly 16,000 in October 2024 to 3,100 in May 2025, with first‑half totals around 25,000 for a 66% year‑on‑year decline.
• UNHCR estimates that more than 500,000 Syrians have returned since the collapse of the Assad government.
• Venezuelans became the largest nationality of applicants with about 49,000 filings in the first half of 2025, with Afghans ranking next.
• Germany received 70,000 applications, a 43% drop that left it behind France (78,000) and Spain (77,000), while Italy and Spain posted declines of 25% and 13%.