Who takes the most asylum seekers in Europe?

Germany consistently receives the most asylum seekers in Europe, leading significantly in applications, followed by Spain, France, and Italy, with these four countries handling over two-thirds of all EU asylum claims in recent years (2023-2025 data). While Germany is the top destination for new applicants, Spain and Italy also see high numbers, and trends shift, with large recent increases in Venezuelan and Colombian applicants in Spain.

Does the UK take more asylum seekers than Europe?

The UK received a tenth of all asylum claims in the UK and EU+ in 2024. Compared with other European countries, the UK received the fifth largest number of asylum seekers in 2024 (108,138) and the seventeenth largest intake when measured 'per head of population'.

Who takes in the most immigrants in Europe?

Germany has the most immigrants in absolute numbers within the EU, with over 16.9 million foreign-born residents, followed by France, Spain, and Italy, but Liechtenstein has the highest proportion, with 70% of its small population being immigrants. Germany leads in total foreign-born individuals, while countries like Luxembourg and Malta have the highest percentages relative to their resident population, making them key immigrant destinations by share. 

What are the top 5 countries for asylum applicants?

Figure 4: Top nationalities claiming asylum in the UK, years ending September 2015 to September 2025. Notes: The figure shows the top 5 nationalities (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Eritrea and Bangladesh) claiming asylum in the year ending September 2025.

Which European countries take in the most refugees in 2025?

By mid-2025, this was no longer the case: Syrian applications fell sharply, dropping them to third place among all nationalities, while Venezuelans became the top applicant group. At the same time, Germany was overtaken by France and Spain as the leading destinations for asylum seekers.

Quello che l’Italia ha appena fatto ai musulmani cambia TUTTO!

Which European country gives asylum easily?

First-time asylum applications

A quarter of all applications were submitted in Germany, while the second-highest rate was in Spain (18%), followed by Italy (17%), France (14%) and Greece (8%). The dataset also shows extra-EU countries, such as Switzerland, Iceland and Norway.

How many refugees does France take compared to the UK?

They do and France actually receives a much larger number of asylum claims than Britain – around 167,000 in 2023, compared to 67,000 in the UK. Those who arrive in France often choose to remain there and a relatively small proportion of the asylum seekers intend on moving on to the UK.

Which European countries do not accept refugees?

Which countries don't welcome migrants: where in the EU is the toughest migration policy now?

• Fortress Europe: the new reality of migration policy in the EU.
• Hungary: a pioneer in ignoring migration law.
• Poland: deportation as a state policy.
• Finland: national security comes first.
• Germany: legal balance on the brink.

Why does the UK accept so many asylum seekers?

Why do we accept asylum seekers? The short answer is that we are bound to do so by international law. Anyone has the right to apply for asylum in any country that has signed the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees, and to remain there until the authorities have assessed their claim.

Which European country takes the least migrants?

By contrast, foreign-born individuals represented less than 5% of the population in Poland (2.6% of its resident population on 1 January 2024), Romania (3.1%), Bulgaria (3.3%) and Slovakia (3.9%). On 1 January 2024, in most EU countries, the majority of foreign-born individuals were born outside the EU (Figure 1).

What country in Europe has the most Muslims?

While countries like Turkey and Azerbaijan have very high percentages, Russia has the largest total number of Muslims in Europe, followed by France, then Germany, with millions residing in each, although the percentage of Muslims relative to the total population is highest in countries like Kosovo, Albania, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
 

Has UK immigration increased since Brexit?

Yes, overall UK immigration, particularly net migration, significantly increased in the years immediately following Brexit, peaking in 2022/2023 at record highs, driven mainly by a large influx of non-EU nationals (especially for work and study) while EU migration declined, creating a shift in origins rather than a reduction in total numbers, with more recent data suggesting a sharp fall from those peaks back towards pre-Brexit levels.

Why do migrants prefer the UK to France?

For instance, some prefer the UK to other European countries due to greater economic growth (thus making them economic migrants), and the relative ease of finding illegal undocumented work, the latter being due to the application of habeas corpus preventing the checking of migrants' identification in some situations.

What nationality are most asylum seekers in the UK?

Most asylum seekers in the UK in recent years have come from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, and Bangladesh, with Pakistan often being the top nationality for asylum claims in the year ending September 2025, though this fluctuates, and Albania also saw a significant increase in claims previously, notes reports from the House of Commons Library and GOV.UK. 

Do illegal immigrants get free healthcare in the UK?

Yes, undocumented immigrants in the UK get some free NHS care, primarily primary care (like GP visits, walk-in centres) and emergency A&E treatment, but face charges for most secondary care (hospital care), with exceptions for certain conditions like HIV, TB, and maternity care, though Scotland, Wales, and NI offer broader access. Specific rules apply in England, where refused asylum seekers and undocumented individuals may be charged upfront for non-emergency hospital treatment, but essential services remain free. 

Do migrants benefit the UK?

Migrants contribute their labour to the workforce

Amid labour shortages in such sectors as healthcare, construction, and technology, foreign nationals help fill these gaps when they come to the UK to work. Migrants are often willing to take on jobs that UK-born workers may not be as interested in pursuing.

Which European country has the biggest immigration problem?

In 2023, around 1.3 million non-EU citizens were found to be illegally present in the EU. This is an increase of 13% compared with 2022. Among the EU countries, the largest number of illegally present people was found in Germany (264 000 or 21% of the EU total), Italy (195 000 or 15%) and Hungary (160 000 or 13%).

Which country has the harshest immigration laws?

Countries With the Toughest Immigration Laws

• Bhutan.
• China.
• Japan.
• Switzerland.
• Denmark.
• Liechtenstein.
• Vatican City.
• North Korea.

Do refugees get free housing in France?

In principle, asylum-seekers have the right to housing. That means each person who has filed a request for asylum in France should be housed by the OFII (Office francais de l'immigration et de l'integration), the same organization that provides your allowance.

Who has more immigrants, France or England?

That year, net migration to the UK stood at 488,000, compared with around 329,000 in Germany and 161,000 in France, according to those countries' statistics authorities. The figures include British, German and French citizens returning from living abroad.

Is France giving asylum to Palestinians?

French Asylum Court Grants Refugee Status to West-Bank Palestinian, Citing 'Generalised Violence' France's National Court of Asylum (CNDA) issued a landmark judgment on 8 December—reported by Le Monde on 12 December—that could reshape how Palestinian applicants are treated under French and EU asylum rules.