EU Asylum Agency reports lowest asylum applications since 2021

The EU Asylum Agency (EUAA) recorded 822,000 first‑time asylum applications in 2025, a 19 % decline from 2024 and the lowest total since 2021. Repeat applications rose 39 % over the same period. EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner said the drop reflects EU engagement in partner countries and growing stability in key regions, allowing member states to clear backlogs, strengthen reception systems and prepare for new rules.

Around 4.5 million Ukrainians displaced by the war have benefited from temporary EU protection up to February 2026. Processing of asylum claims from Syria was temporarily suspended, and Syrian applications fell 72 % compared with the previous year. In February 2026 the EU introduced a bloc‑wide safe‑country list covering Kosovo, Bangladesh, Colombia, Egypt, India, Morocco and Tunisia, meaning applications from these states will be processed more quickly due to low likelihood of success, while still requiring individual assessment. National safe‑country lists continue to operate alongside the EU list.