The first half of 2025 saw a sharp decline in asylum applications across Europe, with Germany experiencing a nearly 50% drop compared to last year.
According to German media reports citing data from the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA), Germany received 65,495 asylum applications between January and June 2025, marking a 43% decrease from the same period in 2024.
German Interior Minister Volker Dobrindt credited the drop to successful migration policy reforms, pledging continued efforts to overhaul the system.
Across Europe, Spain received the highest number of asylum claims in the first half of 2025 with over 76,000 applications, followed by France (75,428), Germany (65,495), Italy (62,534), Greece (27,718), and Belgium (around 17,000). Hungary, Slovakia, and Lithuania reported very low numbers due to stricter immigration policies.
Among asylum seekers in Germany, Afghan nationals made up about 22%, Syrians 20%, and Turkish citizens 11%. Russians were the fifth largest group, accounting for just over 3%. Overall, nearly 400,000 people applied for asylum across EU countries, Norway, and Switzerland in the first six months of 2025.
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French naval forces opened fire on a swarm of unidentified drones that flew over one of the country’s most sensitive military installations, the Île Longue submarine base in western Brittany, officials confirmed on Friday.
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