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The EUAA has published today its latest Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Colombia. It comes as the civilian population continues to bear the brunt of 8 non-international armed conflicts taking place within the country’s borders, despite President Gustavo Petro Urrego’s government’s efforts to advance its ‘Total Peace’ policy. The report is intended to support EU+ asylum authorities in making well-informed decisions on asylum applications lodged by Colombians in the EU+.

The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) has just published an updated Country of Origin Information Report (COI) – Colombia: Country Focus. The report, which updates the previous edition published in 2022, provides an overview of the armed conflicts unfolding in the country, the activities of armed and criminal groups, the human rights conditions affecting civilians, and relevant state mechanisms for protection and justice.

Between 2023 and 2025, Colombia has witnessed ongoing armed conflict and violence. The EUAA report notes that a range of non-state armed actors—including the National Liberation Army (ELN), dissident factions of the former FARC-EP, AGC, and various criminal organisations – are active and have expanded their territorial presence.

The breakdown of ceasefire arrangements and the suspension of peace negotiations with key armed groups in 2024 and 2025 contributed to renewed confrontations and increased risks for local populations. While armed confrontations with State forces have decreased, clashes among these armed groups have increased. In fact, in many municipalities, such groups continued to impose social control, engage in clashes for territorial dominance and subject the civilian populations to violence, as they compete for control over several illicit economies (e.g., drugs and weapons trafficking).

Moreover, these groups have shifted to less detectable tactics and forms of control, including increased use of extortion, confinement, forced displacement, and targeted violence. Departments such as Chocó, Cauca, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca, and Arauca remained among the worst affected. The report highlights patterns of violent intimidation, targeted killings, increased use of drones and explosive devices, and rights violations, all of which had consequences for the civilian population.

EU Asylum situation for Colombian nationals

Between December 2022 and October 2025, Colombian nationals lodged close to 140 000 applications for international protection in the EU+, a significant increase (+58 %) compared to the three years prior. Almost all Colombian applicants were doing so for the first time. Spain (109 000) received by far the most Colombian applications in the EU+, followed at a distance by Germany (8 700) and Italy (8 000). While Colombians lodged record numbers of applications in the EU+ in 2023 and 2024, this upward trend significantly reversed during the first 11 months of 2025.

During the reference period, EU+ countries issued approximately 83 000 decisions at first instance on Colombian applications, but the EU+ recognition rate was very low (5 %). At the end of October 2025, there were about 72 000 cases pending at first instance.