Latest Asylum Trends 2025 (EUAA)
The Latest Asylum Trends 2025 provides an annual overview of asylum activity in EU+ countries, covering asylum applications (per capita), the main nationalities of applicants, the top receiving countries, recognition rates, pending cases and the number of beneficiaries of temporary protection following the war in Ukraine. It also reviews policy developments in the EU+ and provides a 2026 outlook, examining, inter alia, geopolitical uncertainty and latent displacement risks.
Key figures for 2025 include:
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Total applications: about 822.000 (−19 % vs 2024).
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Major decreases: Syrian applications fell sharply (geopolitical development); Turkish and Colombian applications also declined.
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Major increases: Afghan and Venezuelan applications rose, with a notable share of repeated applications among Afghans.
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Top receiving countries: Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Greece together accounted for the majority of applications.
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EU+ recognition rate: around 29 %, reflecting changes in the composition of applications.
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Temporary protection: about 4.5 million people, mainly Ukrainians, were registered under temporary protection across the EU+.
According to the EUAA, the decline observed in 2025 reflects a temporary convergence of factors rather than a definitive turning point. The Agency warns that a renewed escalation in conflict, regional destabilisation, or systemic crisis could rapidly alter the trajectory of asylum applications in the EU+. One potential flashpoint highlighted by the EUAA is Iran, recently the second largest refugee-hosting country, which entered 2026 amid widespread unrest. While asylum applications from Iranian nationals remained limited in 2025 (8.000 applications, ranked 31st), the EUAA notes that partial destabilisation could trigger movements of unprecedented scale.
The EUAA also points out that the EU+ is entering a period of institutional reform under the Pact on Migration and Asylum, with most measures scheduled to take effect in mid-2026. According to the report, implementation of the Pact marks a shift toward a more institutionalised and collectively managed framework, designed to deliver greater predictability and strengthen resilience against systemic shocks caused by geopolitical instability and constrained humanitarian capacity. The Agency stresses that its effectiveness will be tested in 2026, with migration and asylum remaining central to EU policy and international cooperation.
For further information, please read the press release from EUAA and read the Latest Asylum Trends 2025 online.