Afghans Now Second-Largest Group Of Asylum Seekers In Europe, Says EU Agency

Afghans were the second-largest group of asylum seekers in Europe in the first half of 2025, after Venezuelans, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum.

Overall asylum applications across the EU fell by 23 percent compared with the same period last year, the agency said, driven mainly by a sharp drop in claims from Syrians following the fall of President Bashar Assad in December. Officials noted the decline was the steepest since the COVID-19 pandemic and not the result of policy changes in the bloc.

Despite continuing violence in parts of Syria and Israeli airstrikes, the formation of a new government under Ahmad Sharaa has raised hopes for stability and reconstruction. The UN Refugee Agency said more than 500,000 Syrians have returned home since mid-May.

By contrast, Afghan applications have remained high since the Taliban seized power in 2021. In Britain alone, 33,970 Afghans have applied for asylum since October 2021, most arriving through irregular routes. A further 35,706 Afghans have resettled in the UK through official programmes.

Germany’s asylum office said Afghans filed the largest number of applications there this year, with 104,012 submitted between 1 January and 31 August. But Berlin’s new government has tightened migration rules and vowed to restrict arrivals.

Reports from the European Commission and the International Organization for Migration show Afghans remain among the five largest groups of asylum seekers across Europe. Observers cite Taliban-imposed restrictions, particularly on women, and security pressures as key drivers.

Germany, once the main destination for Afghan refugees, has now been overtaken by Spain, Italy and France.
In total, EU countries along with Switzerland and Norway received nearly 399,000 asylum applications in the first half of 2025, the EU agency said.