EU asylum applications down 23% with huge drop in Syrian requests in 2025

After a significant decline in Syrian requests for asylum in Europe since Bashar al-Assad’s assassination in December, new data from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) revealed that asylum applications to the 27-nation bloc fell 23 percent in the first six months of 2025.

According to the EUAA, Syrians, who had been the most popular source of asylum for the past ten years, dropped sharply to fourth place in May. The agency reported on Monday that “Monthly Syrian asylum applications decreased from approximately 16, 000 in October 2024 to just 3,100 in May 2025, a steep fivefold drop from the previous month.

According to the statement, “This downturn, which has not been seen since the initial wave of COVID-19,” is likely not related to any changes to the EU+’s asylum policies, which include Switzerland and Norway, which are both included in the list of 27 members.

The interim Syrian government has pushed for stability and reconstruction in the country since al-Assad’s ouster.

There is renewed hope as more Syrians attempt to return to their country despite the fledgling government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa’s protests and Israeli attacks in southern Syria.

More than 500, 000 Syrians are thought to have crossed into Syria since the Assad government’s fall, according to the UNHCR as of mid-May.

Millions of Syrians emigrated to neighboring countries and more than a million to Europe at the height of the ruinous civil war.

Venezuelans are now the largest asylum seekers because Syrians no longer hold the top spot for the EU in terms of applications.

A “severe economic and political crisis” and evolving US immigration policies, which could alter migration movements, are among the factors contributing to the report’s findings.

The second-highest applicant group for the first six months of the year was Afghan asylum seekers.

Germany, which was once the main destination for asylum seekers, has received fewer applications than Spain, Italy, and France in terms of applications to specific countries.