Germany currently ranks third globally in terms of asylum applications received.
In the first half of 2025, Europe has seen a significant shift in asylum trends. The European Union (EU) Commissioner Magnus Brunner attributes this change to a more consistent policy and the need for improved cooperation with third countries to ensure effective returns and relieve asylum systems.
One of the key developments is the decrease in asylum applications. The recognition rate for initial asylum applications has fallen to its lowest level ever measured, at 25%. Despite this, the number of appeals in administrative courts has increased significantly, with 76,646 new main proceedings filed by June 30, more cases than in the whole of 2023.
The decrease in applications is not uniform across the EU. Germany, which has held the position of the country with the most new asylum applications since 2012, is no longer in the lead. In the first eight months of 2025, 1,271 people from Venezuela applied for asylum in Germany for the first time, marking a shift in focus from traditional asylum-seeking countries.
This shift is evident across the EU. The majority of new asylum seekers are no longer coming from Syria, but from the South American country of Venezuela. More than 9.1 million Venezuelans now live outside their home country, and the mass emigration is seen as a direct consequence of the authoritarian rule of President Nicolás Maduro.
The decline in Germany's asylum applications is also attributed to intensified border controls and the rejection of asylum seekers at the borders, according to Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster. Interestingly, almost all Venezuelan asylum seekers have submitted their applications in Spain, making it an attractive destination for Venezuelans due to its growing economy and welcoming government.
France, on the other hand, is currently receiving relatively many asylum applications from Ukraine. The most common countries of origin for asylum seekers in France are Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where French is an official language, leading to increased applications from these countries.
By the end of June 2025, a total of 399,000 new applications were registered in the group of 29 countries (EU+), a decrease of 114,000 or 23 percent compared to the first half of 2024. Italy has 64,000 new asylum applications, placing it fourth in the EU, behind France, Spain, and Germany.
As of June 30, more than 900,000 initial applications have not yet been decided, and there are a total of about 1.3 million decisions pending. The overall recognition rate for Venezuelans was last at 10.9 percent.
These trends highlight the ongoing changes in asylum seeking patterns across Europe and the need for continued cooperation and policy adjustments to address these shifts effectively.
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