France and Spain have eclipsed Germany as the most favoured destinations in Europe for people seeking asylum, according to new data.

For the first time in a decade, the two nations received more asylum applications in the first half of 2025 than Germany, with more Venezuelan and fewer Syrian applications partly responsible.

Data released by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) shows that France received 78,000 applications and Spain 77,000 applications with Germany, which has been the main destination for asylum seekers in recent years, receiving 70,000.

In the first half 2025, EU countries plus Norway and Switzerland received 399,000 asylum applications, a 23 per cent decrease compared to the first half of 2024. 

There was a significant drop in applications lodged by Syrian citizens, with 25,000 fewer than the first six months of the previous year, due to the fall of the Assad regime in Syria last December.

Applications in Germany, Italy, and Spain fell compared to the first half of 2024, by 43 per cent, 25 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.

The numbers were stable in France, and the four countries accounted for nearly three-quarters of all applications lodged in the entire EU.

Venezuela is now the main country of origin of asylum seekers.

Venezuelans applied for asylum in significant numbers in 2025: around 49,000 requests, up by almost a third year-over-year and they have become the largest nationality group, after a decade during which Syrians were the largest group seeking protection.

The increase in Venezuelan applications comes after the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in the USD.

The US recently ended temporary protection for more than 250,000 Venezuelan citizens who had fled to the US.

Venezuelans can enter Europe without a visa and stay for a maximum of 90 days in the Schengen area countries, with their passports alone.

Once on EU soil, many Venezuelans for a visa or for international protection.

Afghans were the second-largest group of asylum seekers in Europe in the first half of 2025.

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 programs.

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.

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.

The lower Euro-wide asylum figure has been driven by a sharp drop in claims from Syrians following the fall of President Bashar Assad in December.

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 UNHCR said more than 500,000 Syrians have returned home since mid-May.