Brussels: A 28% decrease in new applications for international protection was recorded in October 2025 compared with the same month of the previous year, according to data published on Thursday by the European Statistical Office (Eurostat). Specifically, EU member states received a total of 62,010 asylum applications from people originating from non-EU countries, compared with 86,470 in October 2024 and 58,495 in September 2025, marking an increase of 6% from the previous month.
According to Cyprus News Agency, in October 2025, there were 13.8 first-time asylum applicants per hundred thousand inhabitants in the EU. Compared with the population of each EU member state as of January 1, 2025, the highest rates of applicants were recorded in Greece at 58.1, followed by Cyprus at 33.9, and Spain at 26.3.
In terms of countries of origin, Venezuelans constituted the largest group of people seeking asylum at the EU level in October 2025, with 8,140 first-time applicants. They were followed by Afghans with 5,920, Bangladeshis with 3,400, and Syrians with 2,915.
Spain, Italy, France, and Germany were the primary recipients of first-time applicants, accounting for 74% of the total. Specifically, Spain received 12,885 applications, Italy 12,650, France 11,245, and Germany 8,815.
During the same period, a total of 1,710 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU. The highest numbers of unaccompanied minors came from Somalia with 245, Egypt with 215, Eritrea with 200, Afghanistan with 190, and Venezuela with 180. The EU countries that received the highest number of asylum applications from unaccompanied minors were the Netherlands with 350, Greece with 325, Germany with 245, and Spain with 215.