Decline in asylum applications in Germany: these European countries have now become the main destination
Germany is no longer the leading destination for asylum seekers in the European Union. According to new data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), France and Spain have surpassed Germany in the number of asylum applications during the first half of 2025. By the end of June, France received 78,000 applications, Spain 77,000 applications, while Germany received 70,000 applications.
In general, EU countries, along with Norway and Switzerland, recorded 399,000 asylum applications during the first six months of 2025, a decrease of 23% compared to the same period in 2024. An important factor in this decline was the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last December, which led to a decrease of 25,000 Syrian applications compared to the previous year.
Countries such as Germany, Italy, and Spain have seen a decrease in asylum applications by 43%, 25%, and 13% respectively, while France has maintained stable numbers. Together, these four countries accounted for nearly three-quarters of all asylum applications submitted in the European Union, highlighting a significant concentration of applicants in Western Europe.
Venezuelans have now become the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe. Approximately 49,000 applications from Venezuelans were submitted during the first half of 2025, an increase of nearly 30% compared to the previous year. Experts attribute this increase to the tightening of U.S. immigration policies, which has driven Venezuelans to seek protection in Europe instead of the United States.
Martin Wagner, an asylum expert at the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), explained that strict U.S. policies seem to have redirected migration flows. Since Donald Trump's return to the presidency of the United States, the administration has tightened measures against Venezuelan migrants and announced a plan to end temporary protection for more than 250,000 Venezuelan citizens, pushing them further towards European countries.