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Asylum policy

Asylum applications up to 54,780 in May 2025

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In May 2025, 54,780 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 30% decrease compared with May 2024 (77,945) and a 12% increase compared with April 2025 (48 935).  

There were also 7,585 subsequent applicants, representing a 20% increase compared with May 2024 (6,300) and a 4% rise compared with April 2025 (7,275).

After 3 consecutive months of decline in asylum applications, starting in February 2025, the number of first-time asylum and subsequent applicants increased again in May 2025.  

This information comes from the monthly asylum data published by Eurostat.

Click to enlarge

Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm

Largest group of asylum seekers from Venezuela

In May 2025, Venezuelans remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (8,085 first-time applicants), followed by Afghans (4,575), Bangladeshis (3,095) and Syrians (2,935).

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Spain, Italy, France and Germany received 77% of first-time applicants

Spain (12,755), Italy (11,760), France (9,490), and Germany (8,330) received the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for slightly more than three-quarters (77%) of all first-time applicants in the EU.

The EU total rate of first-time asylum applicants in May 2025 was 12.2 per hundred thousand people. Compared with the population of each EU country (on 1 January 2025), the highest rates of first-time applicants were recorded in Greece (30.3), ahead of Spain (26.0), Cyprus and Luxembourg (25.8 each).

1,960 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum

Click to enlarge

Source dataset: migr_asyumactm

In May 2025, a total of 1,960 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU. The highest numbers came from Eritrea (410), Afghanistan (240) and Syria (215). 

The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was the Netherlands (430), followed by Germany (355) and Spain (280).

For more information

Methodological notes

  • First-time asylum applicants and subsequent applicants: Spain - provisional data used since March 2025.
  • Unaccompanied minors:
    • Poland: data are not available. As a result, Poland is not included in the calculation.
    • France: data are estimated.

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