Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus remained among the European Union countries with the highest number of first-time asylum applications relative to its population in 2025, as overall claims across the bloc fell sharply, Eurostat said.
EU asylum applications fall, repeat claims rise
Across the EU, 669,400 first-time asylum applicants from non-EU countries sought international protection in 2025, down 27 per cent from 912,400 in 2024, according to Eurostat data published this week.
First-time applicants accounted for 83.9 per cent of the total number of asylum applicants recorded in the bloc in 2025. Subsequent applications rose to 127,340, an increase of 51.3 per cent compared with the previous year.
Highest per-capita rates led by Greece
On a per capita basis, Greece recorded the highest rate of first-time asylum applicants in 2025, at 5.3 per 1,000 people, followed by Cyprus and Spain with 2.9 each.
Luxembourg followed with 2.6, while Ireland stood at 2.4, compared with an EU average of 1.5 per 1,000 people.
Spain leads in total applications
In absolute terms, Spain received the largest number of first-time asylum applications, with 141,035, accounting for just over 21 per cent of the EU total.
It was followed by Italy with 126,635, France with 116,370, Germany with 113,170 and Greece with 55,380. Those five countries together handled 82.6 per cent of all first-time applications lodged across the bloc in 2025.
Venezuelans become top applicant nationality
Venezuelans were the largest group of first-time asylum applicants in 2025, submitting 89,500 claims, or 13 per cent of the total.
They were followed by Afghans with 63,800 applications, or 10 per cent, while Syrians ranked third with 40,000, or 6 per cent.
Eurostat said Syrians had previously been the leading nationality among first-time asylum applicants in the EU every year from 2013 to 2024.
What do these Eurostat figures suggest about how asylum pressures are distributed across the EU?
