Asylum Applications in Europe Drop by Nearly a Quarter in One Year
A new report from the EU Asylum Agency reveals a 23% decline in asylum applications across 29 countries during the first half of this year, highlighting shifting trends and changing demographics among applicants.
According to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), asylum applications in the 27 EU countries, along with Norway and Switzerland, fell by 23% in the first half of this year compared to the same period last year. The annual report, released on Monday, underscores that the asylum landscape across Europe has undergone significant changes since the start of the year.
A primary driver behind this decline is linked to developments in Syria, especially after the ousting of President Bashar al-Assad last December. For the past decade, Syrians had consistently been the largest group of asylum seekers in Europe, but the number of Syrian applicants has dropped by two-thirds in just a few months. Venezuelans now constitute the largest nationality group submitting new applications.
During this period, France received the most asylum applications, with approximately 77,000, followed by Spain and Germany. Belgium ranked sixth, registering 17,500 applications, mostly from Afghanistan, Palestine, and Eritrea. In addition, about 4.3 million Ukrainians are benefiting from temporary protection status across Europe after fleeing Russia’s invasion.
