Marina Lyubimova
⬤ EU countries recorded 669,400 first-time asylum applications in 2025, underscoring the scale of ongoing migration flows. Venezuela stood out as the leading country of origin, accounting for 13% of all submissions - a notable shift from the historically dominant patterns tied to the Middle East and North Africa.
⬤ The regional breakdown tells a story of genuinely global movement. Asia sent the largest share - roughly 226,000 applicants, or 34% of the total. Africa followed with around 204,800 (31%), while the Americas contributed approximately 149,700, or 22%. Europe itself accounted for about 81,700 applicants, or 12%, with Eurostat data pointing to Türkiye and Ukraine as the primary European sources.
With Venezuela leading as the primary country of origin and significant contributions from Asia and Africa, migration patterns continue to evolve and shape policy discussions across the EU.
⬤ Within those regions, country-level figures sharpen the picture. In the Americas, Venezuela alone made up 60% of applicants, with Colombia and Peru trailing behind. In Asia, Afghanistan led at 28%, followed by Syria and Bangladesh. African applicants came primarily from Egypt, Morocco, Mali, Sudan, and Somalia. These migration trends reflect broader economic and political pressures that continue to drive displacement across multiple continents.
⬤ The 2025 figures reinforce how migration into the EU now draws from a far wider set of origins than in previous cycles. For policymakers, the data is a direct input into debates on capacity, integration, and EU asylum policy reform - with multi-regional pressure showing no sign of easing in the near term.
Marina Lyubimova
