Spain becomes top EU asylum destination, surpassing Germany
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Spain leads Germany as the top destination for asylum seekers in the EU.
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Migrants disembark at the port of "La Estaca" in Valverde at the Canary island of El Hierro, Spain, Monday, Aug. 26, 2024. (AP)
Germany has lost its position as the top destination for asylum seekers in the EU, as the number of Syrians applying for protection in the bloc has declined following the end of the al-Assad regime, a report cited by the Financial Times stated.
According to an unpublished report by the EU Agency for Asylum, which was obtained by the Financial Times, the EU’s asylum system is experiencing a "significant shift" due to the ousting of Syria’s former President Bashar al-Assad in December.
The Malta based agency reported 64,000 asylum claims in the EU during May, the most recent period with available data, showing a decrease of almost 25% compared to May 2024, with the EUAA attributing this decline primarily to a sharp and sudden reduction in Syrian applications, which plummeted from approximately 16,000 in October of the previous year to only 3,100 by May.
The report shows that Germany, which has been a preferred destination for Syrian asylum seekers, saw its overall asylum claims in May nearly halve to 9,900 compared to 18,700 during the same month last year, while Spain emerged as the EU country receiving the highest number of asylum applications, with nearly 12,800 recorded in May, though this still reflects a decrease from the 16,300 applications filed the previous year.
The report suggested that this trend may also be connected to stricter US immigration policies, particularly increased deportations of Venezuelan migrants.
EU tightens its migration policies
The report emerges amid increasing demands from European nations for stricter policies to reduce irregular migration, as countries like Denmark explore controversial measures, including deporting asylum seekers to third countries rather than their homelands as part of deterrent strategies.
Earlier this month, EU migration commissioner Magnus Brunner headed a delegation to Libya in response to rising migrant arrivals through the politically volatile nation, with Greece being particularly affected, though the visit, aimed at urging Libyan authorities to prevent migrant departures, was abruptly terminated when Brunner was instructed to leave.
The EUAA emphasized that the decline in asylum numbers, particularly among Syrians, probably did not result from modifications to European asylum policies but instead appeared to stem from evolving conditions within Syria itself.
