THE AFRICAN COURIER. Reporting Africa and its Diaspora! The African Courier is an international magazine published in Germany to report on Africa and the Diaspora African experience. The first issue of the bimonthly magazine appeared on the newsstands on 15 February 1998. The African Courier is a communication forum for European-African political, economic and cultural exchanges, and a voice for Africa in Europe.
New figures from Europe’s statistical agency show that first-time asylum applications in the EU fell by more than a quarter last year. The headline numbers conceal a more complex picture — one in which Africans fleeing conflict, persecution and poverty remain significantly represented, particularly among the unaccompanied children making dangerous journeys to Europe.
The number of people seeking asylum in the European Union for the first time dropped substantially in 2025, according to official data released on 29 April by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office. A total of 669,400 first-time applications were registered across EU member states during the year — a fall of 27 per cent compared with the 912,400 applications recorded in 2024. The decline continues a downward trend that began in mid-2024, driven by tighter border enforcement, increased returns and shifting migration routes.
The drop was not evenly distributed. Germany, long the EU’s primary destination for asylum seekers, recorded the sharpest absolute decrease: applications fell by more than 116,500 — a reduction of over 50 per cent year-on-year. Italy and Spain also saw significant decreases of around 16 and 15 per cent respectively.
Who Is Seeking Asylum — and Where?
For the first time in over a decade, Venezuela displaced all other nations as the leading country of origin. Venezuelan nationals submitted 89,500 applications — 13 per cent of the EU total — reflecting political and economic collapse in that country. Afghanistan came second with 63,800 applications (10 per cent), while Syria ranked third with 40,000 (six per cent), ending more than a decade in which Syrians topped the list.
Spain received the highest number of first-time applicants among EU member states, with 141,000 — 21 per cent of the total. Italy followed with 126,600, France with 116,400 and Germany with 113,200. Together with Greece, which received 55,400 applications, these five countries processed 83 per cent of all applications filed in the EU.
Top receiving countries, 2025
| Country | First-time applications |
| Spain | 141,000 (21%) |
| Italy | 126,600 (19%) |
| France | 116,400 (17%) |
| Germany | 113,200 (17%) |
| Greece | 55,400 (8%) |
Source: Eurostat, 29 April 2026
Africa’s Footprint in the Data
While the largest nationality groups in 2025 came from Latin America and Asia, African nationals featured prominently in several key categories. Among the 21,125 unaccompanied minors — children who arrived in the EU without a parent or legal guardian — Eritreans were the second largest group overall (11.6 per cent), closely followed by Somali children (11.5 per cent). Across all minor asylum applicants, 27.3 per cent came from African countries, behind only those from Asia at 39 per cent.
In terms of protection outcomes, Somalis and Malians featured among those most frequently granted status. Eurostat data show that Somalis received 13,665 grants of protection across the EU in 2025 (3.8 per cent of the total), while Malians received 12,455 (3.4 per cent) and Eritreans 9,680 (2.7 per cent). These figures reflect the severity of displacement conditions in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel, where armed conflict, authoritarian rule and climate pressures continue to force people to flee.
Decisions: Fewer Grants, Same Destinations
Despite the fall in applications, the EU processed over one million asylum decisions in 2025 — 832,360 at first instance and a further 170,175 following appeal or review. In total, 361,325 people were granted some form of protection, down 17.5 per cent from 2024’s figure of 437,735. The overall first-instance recognition rate stood at 39 per cent.
Germany remained the country granting the most protection statuses: 103,360 in 2025, representing 28.6 per cent of the EU total. Spain followed with 76,210 and France with 72,930. Together, these three countries were responsible for 70 per cent of all positive outcomes across the bloc.
Children at the Centre
A separate Eurostat bulletin published on the same day highlighted the particular vulnerability of minors in the asylum system. Of all first-time applicants in 2025, 158,400 — nearly 24 per cent — were under 18 years old. In Germany, minors made up almost 45 per cent of all first-time applicants, the second highest share in the EU after Austria. Germany also received the highest absolute number of applications from unaccompanied minors: 4,925, representing 23 per cent of the EU total.
The data illustrate a system under sustained pressure even as headline numbers fall. Fewer people are filing applications, but those who do are increasingly young, increasingly African, and increasingly alone.
What the Numbers Mean
The 27 per cent fall in EU-wide applications will be cited by governments as evidence that tougher border and migration policies are working. But the data also show that the underlying drivers of displacement — conflict in Afghanistan, Somalia, Mali and Sudan; authoritarian repression in Eritrea and elsewhere; economic collapse in Venezuela — have not diminished.
The numbers of people in need have not fallen proportionately; what has changed is the number reaching EU territory to file a claim. For African communities in Europe, the statistics are a reminder that the continent’s diaspora continues to grow in part through humanitarian channels — and that the protection system, however imperfect, remains a lifeline for tens of thousands of Africans each year.
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