The European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) recently announced a decline in asylum applications across the EU+ region, comprising EU member states, Norway, and Switzerland, with a decrease of 11 percent in 2024 compared to the previous year. This reduction interrupted a three-year trend where applications had consistently exceeded one million annually. The EUAA report attributes this decline largely to changes in migration patterns observed during the latter half of the year, which diverged from normal seasonal trends.
Despite the overall decrease, the EU+ registered just over one million applications in 2024. Syrian nationals continued to be the most common applicants, followed by Afghans and Venezuelans. Germany received the highest number of applications in the region, accounting for nearly 23 percent of the EU+ total, although its new asylum requests fell by 29 percent. Spain, Italy, and France remained primary destinations for asylum seekers, with Spain noting an increase in applicants from Malian and Senegalese nationals, reflecting mounting migration pressures from West Africa.
The report highlights significant geopolitical influences on the trends in asylum applications. Notably, the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria in December 2024 led to the return of approximately 270,000 Syrians in early 2025. Nevertheless, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has advised against forced repatriations due to ongoing instability and humanitarian concerns within Syria. Concurrently, Ukrainian asylum seekers saw a significant increase as they sought long-term protection within the EU+.
A major challenge highlighted by the EUAA is the growing backlog of pending asylum cases. By the year’s end, an increasing number of applications were awaiting decisions, putting further strain on national asylum systems. Some EU+ countries temporarily paused processing Syrian asylum claims to reassess the situation in the country, exacerbating the delays.
Finally, there are ongoing discussions regarding asylum claims from nationals of visa-free Latin American countries, particularly Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru, who typically encounter low recognition rates. The European Commission has proposed possible policy changes to address these “unfounded” claims, aiming to maintain access for those truly in need of protection while managing the influx of applicants.
For further details, the comprehensive report and analysis from JURIST can be accessed here.