In June 2025, 52 265 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries, marking a 27% decrease compared with June 2024 (71,455) and a 5% decline compared with May 2025 (54,780).
There were also 8,140 subsequent applicants, representing a 24% increase compared with June 2024 (6,555) and a 7% rise compared with May 2025 (7,585).
In the second quarter of 2025, 194 730 first instance asylum decisions were issued in the EU, up 3% compared with the same period of the previous year (188,675) and down 2% compared with the previous quarter (198,665). Out of these decisions, 34% were positive (65,735).
This information comes from the monthly and quarterly asylum data published by Eurostat. The article presents a handful of findings from the more detailed Statistics Explained articles on monthly asylum applications statistics and on quarterly asylum decisions statistics.
Source dataset: migr_asyappctzm
Largest group of asylum seekers from Venezuela
In June 2025, Venezuelans remained the largest group of people seeking asylum (7,615 first-time applicants), followed by Afghans (4,085), Bangladeshis (2,735) and Syrians (2,315).
Spain, Italy, France and Germany received 74% of first-time applicants
Spain (12,645), Italy (9,765), France (9,510) and Germany (6,860) received the highest number of first-time asylum applicants, accounting for nearly three-quarters (74%) of all first-time applicants in the EU.
The EU total rate of first-time asylum applicants in June 2025 was 11.6 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 (39.4), ahead of Spain (25.8) and Cyprus (24.3).
1,835 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum
In June 2025, a total of 1,835 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU. The highest numbers came from Eritrea (460), Afghanistan (205) and Mali (190).
Source dataset: migr_asyumactm
The EU country that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors was the Netherlands (450), followed by Spain (415) and Germany (270).
Decrease in positive asylum decisions
In the second quarter of 2025, EU countries granted protection status at first instance to 65,735 asylum seekers, down 35% compared with the same quarter of 2024 (100,400), and slightly decrease of 1% from the first quarter of 2025 (66,405).
Among asylum seekers granted protection status at first instance in the EU, 48% received refugee status, 28% received humanitarian status and 24% were given subsidiary protection.
Spain (16,060), ahead of France (14,220) and Germany (13,450) issued the highest numbers of positive decisions at first instance. Afghans (13,170), Venezuelans (12,340) and Somalis (3,215) were the main beneficiaries of protection status in the EU in the second quarter of 2025.
For more information
- Statistics Explained article on asylum applications – monthly statistics
- Statistics Explained article on asylum applications – annual statistics
- Statistics Explained article on asylum decisions – quarterly statistics
- Statistics Explained article on asylum decisions – annual statistics
- Thematic section on migration and asylum statistics
- Database on asylum statistics
- Migration and asylum in Europe – 2024 edition
Methodological notes
- Cyprus: due to temporary derogations, data on subsequent applicants are not available until December 2023, therefore Cyprus is not included in the total calculated until December 2023.
- Spain: provisional data used since March 2025 and Q1 2025.
- France: data for unaccompanied minors are estimated.
- Poland: data for unaccompanied minors are not available.
- Portugal: June 2025 data are not available; May 2025 data are used to calculate EU totals.
