Spain is now the main asylum destination in the EU, surpassing Germany.

Spain has surpassed Germany as the main destination for asylum in the European Union, according to the latest data from the EU Agency for Asylum report. In May 2025, Spain recorded nearly 12,800 asylum applications. This figure places Spain above Germany, which had historically been the leader in this area.

This change has occurred mainly due to a significant decrease in protection applications from Syrian citizens. After the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime, there has been a drastic drop in asylum applications from Syrians in the EU, which has especially affected Germany. In May 2025, asylum applications from Syrians across the EU fell from 16,000 to just 3,100.

Spain, meanwhile, has seen an increase in applications coming mainly from people fleeing the crisis in Venezuela. The serious economic and political situation in the South American country has led many Venezuelans to seek protection in Spain. The EU Agency for Asylum also links this trend to the more restrictive migration policies of the United States.

Mass regularizations drive the phenomenon

According to data from the Bank of Spain, Spain has experienced the highest rate of immigrant arrivals in proportion to its population in Europe. This rate—24 immigrants per 1,000—far exceeds that of countries like France and Italy. This high arrival of immigrants is, in part, the result of geographic proximity to Africa and cultural proximity to Hispanic America.

In addition, Spain's migration policy has favored this phenomenon, with a more lenient policy regarding the regularization of immigrants. The Spanish government has recently announced the regularization of more than 900,000 undocumented immigrants. This measure, the Executive says, is considered essential for the sustainability of the Welfare State.