Germany loses EU lead in asylum applications submitted

In the first half of 2025, Germany lost its status as the leader among EU countries in terms of the number of asylum applications submitted. According to Bild, in the first six months of the year, 61,300 initial applications were received, which is almost half as many as in the same period last year (121,426).

This sharp decline is due to the country's tougher migration policy. Germany has introduced additional border checks, suspended the family reunification programme and cancelled accelerated citizenship. The list of so-called 'safe countries' has also been expanded, from where it has become much more difficult to obtain refugee status," the publication explains.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt commented on the situation and said, "These are clear successes in reversing migration. We are consistently continuing on the path to turn migration upside down."

According to an internal European Commission report, Germany now has the third highest number of asylum applications in the EU, behind Spain (76,020 applications) and France (75,428 applications). They are followed by Italy and Greece. In turn, Hungary (47 applications), Slovakia (84) and Lithuania (152) record the lowest numbers.

Among applicants for asylum in Germany, the largest share are citizens of Afghanistan (22 per cent), Syria (20 per cent) and Turkey (11 per cent). Also in the top five are Iraq and Russia, the latter with a share of 3.1 per cent.