The European Union recorded a significant decline of around 20 percent in asylum applications in 2025 compared with the previous year, according to preliminary data released by the bloc’s asylum monitoring authorities.
A report by the European Commission said a total of 780,200 asylum applications were filed across the EU’s 27 member states, as well as Norway and Switzerland, between early January and mid-December 2025. The data, which was shared confidentially with EU governments, was reviewed by the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
The report attributed the decline primarily to a sharp reduction in asylum claims from Syrian nationals, following political developments after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Officials said these changes raised hopes among many Syrians that conditions inside the country could improve, reducing the need to seek refuge abroad.
The decrease comes as the EU and the European Parliament have tightened asylum and migration rules as part of a broad reform package aimed at streamlining procedures and strengthening protection of the bloc’s external borders.
In Germany, the interior ministry earlier this month reported a substantial drop in asylum applications. Initial claims fell by 51 percent in 2025 to 113,236, compared with 2024. Including repeat and follow-up applications, the total reached around 149,100.
Germany remained the top destination for asylum seekers, followed by France with approximately 148,600 applications, Spain with 137,300, and Italy with 125,800.
EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner described 2025 as “a good year for European migration policy,” citing progress in reforming asylum law and implementing key elements of the new legislative framework. These include faster processing of applications and stronger border controls.
The European Commission said the measures have already produced tangible results, noting that irregular border crossings into the EU have fallen by more than half since 2023, underscoring what officials describe as a more effective and coordinated migration strategy across the bloc.
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