A noticeable decline in asylum applications, with refugees from Venezuela topping the list.
The number of first-time asylum applications in EU countries decreased for the first time in April, according to the European statistics agency "Eurostat". The number of first-time applicants was 48,520, which is 16% lower compared to the previous month.
As for repeated asylum applications, 7,245 cases were recorded, a decrease of 2% from March, and 1% lower than April 2024. Thus, April 2025 is the third consecutive month to witness a decline in the number of asylum applications within the European Union.
Venezuela was the top source of asylum seekers, with 7,015 people submitting their applications, followed by Afghanistan with 5,125, then Syria with 2,895, and Ukraine with 2,115. The countries that received the largest number of applications were Spain with 11,305 applications, followed by France with 11,105 and Germany with 9,105. In Austria, the number of applications reached 980.
When calculating the number of requests relative to the population, Greece topped the list with a rate of 29.7 requests per 100,000 inhabitants. Austria recorded 10.7, while Hungary came in last with 0.1, followed by Romania with 0.5.
It is noted that the European Union approved new reforms regarding asylum laws last year. Several European countries, including Austria and Germany, have tightened their immigration policies in recent months.