Asylum applications in the European Union, Norway, and Switzerland fell by 23% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).

France and Spain received more asylum applications than Germany during this period, marking a significant shift in migration trends within the EU. By the end of June, France had received 78,000 applications, Spain 77,000, and Germany 70,000—a reversal of Germany’s longstanding role as the main destination for asylum seekers in Europe.

Migrants queue in a waiting area to be escorted to a registration office at the arrival centre for asylum seekers in Reinickendorf district, Berlin, Germany, October 6, 2023. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

In total, EU countries along with Norway and Switzerland recorded 399,000 asylum applications, a 23% decrease from the first half of 2024.

A key factor behind the decline is a sharp drop in applications from Syrian nationals, with 25,000 fewer requests compared to the previous year, following political developments after the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024.

Migrants rescued at sea walk to board a Red Cross vehicle after disembarking from a vessel, the day after a shipwreck off the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, Italy, August 14, 2025. REUTERS/Vincenzo Livieri

Reductions were also noted among major host countries: Germany (down 43%), Italy (down 25%), and Spain (down 13%). Applications in France remained nearly stable, making it the primary destination for asylum seekers in the EU.

While Syria’s numbers have decreased, Venezuela has emerged as the leading country of origin for asylum seekers in the EU. The four main host countries—France, Spain, Germany, and Italy—account for nearly 75% of all applications submitted within the EU.

FILE PHOTO: A group of migrants on an inflatable dinghy leave the coast of northern France in an attempt to cross the English Channel to reach Britain, from the beach of Petit-Fort-Philippe in Gravelines, near Calais, France, August 25, 2025. REUTERS/Hannah McKay/File Photo