EU Asylum Applications Fall 23% in 2025 Amid Syrian Decline

Asylum applications to the European Union decreased by 23% during the first half of 2025, primarily due to a significant 66% drop in Syrians seeking protection, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). This decline is attributed not to changes in EU asylum policies but to political developments in Syria, including the ouster of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad and the rise of a new interim government promoting stability and reconstruction. As a result, many displaced Syrians are hopeful about returning to their home country, with over 500,000 estimated to have returned since Assad's removal. Syrians, once the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe, have now fallen to third or fourth place behind Venezuelans and Afghans, with Venezuelan applications increasing due to economic and political crises. The EU faces growing pressure to limit migration amid rising far-right support, and the European Commission has proposed measures to expedite deportations and restrict asylum seekers. Additionally, France and Spain have replaced Germany as the main destinations for asylum seekers in the EU.