Germany is no longer the EU’s top destination for asylum seekers. According to a confidential EU Commission report seen by Welt am Sonntag, asylum applications in Germany dropped by 43% in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous year. A total of 65,495 applications were filed between January and June—placing Germany behind Spain and France for the first time in years.

The EU-wide trend is also downward: across the bloc (plus Norway and Switzerland), asylum applications fell by 23% to 388,299. Experts attribute the decline to seasonal factors, enhanced border control by Frontex, and new migration partnerships with North African countries such as Tunisia and Egypt.

Despite the overall drop, EU officials remain concerned about growing migration pressure via Libya. Tens of thousands are currently waiting to cross to Europe, particularly affecting Greek islands like Crete. The EU’s migration commissioner is expected to travel to Libya this week for talks aimed at stabilizing the situation. welt.de