Germany No Longer Tops Europe in Asylum Applications

Germany is no longer the leading destination for asylum seekers in Europe, officials said. The country recorded 113,000 asylum applications in 2025 compared with 329,000 in 2023. France and Spain have now moved ahead of Germany for the first time since 2015.

The announcement was made on May 9, 2026. The drop reflects a reduction of more than 65 percent in asylum applications over the two-year period. Data for other European countries were not detailed in the announcement.

Germany had been the primary European destination for asylum seekers since 2015, when more than one million people arrived amid conflicts in the Middle East and Africa. The sharp decline in recent years coincides with changes in European migration policies and national measures to manage border crossings and application processing.

Officials did not specify exact figures for France or Spain or the reasons behind the shift in rankings. The 2025 total for Germany represents the lowest annual number in more than a decade. Further data on processing times, approval rates, or nationalities of applicants were not released in the announcement.