In the first half of 2025, the EU+ received 399,000 applications for international protection, which marks a 23% decline from the same period in 2024.
Following the ousting of the Assad regime in December 2024, far fewer Syrians applied for asylum during the first half of 2025 such that they were no longer the main citizenship; Venezuelans and Afghans both lodged more applications in the first half of 2025.
With fewer Syrians seeking asylum, Germany was no longer the top EU+ destination; France and Spain both received more applications in the first half of 2025, whereas Greece and Cyprus received the most applications per capita.
The number of cases awaiting a first instance decision remained at near record levels, with 918,000 pending at the end of June 2025. It is estimated that the total number of cases, including those in appeal or review, awaiting a decision at the end of May 2025 (latest data) was approximately 1.3 million.
At the end of June 2025, there were about 4.5 million beneficiaries of temporary protection in the EU+ who fled Ukraine following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Half were hosted in Germany and Poland, but Czechia hosted the most beneficiaries per capita.
