Italy first EU country for first-time asylum requests in July. It had not happened since 2011

Brussels – In July, Italy was the first EU country for first-time asylum requests from third countries nationals. This was almost unprecedented, as it had not happened since the summer of 2011, when the Peninsula was the main destination for the migratory route that led asylum seekers to Italy to apply for international protection in other member states. According to the EU Statitistical Office (Eurostat), 11,190 people out of 55,340 applied to the Italian authorities in the summer months. Numbers higher than Spain (10,720), France (10,005), and Germany (8,285). It should be noted that the four big countries of the Union accepted about three-quarters (73 per cent) of all requests from the Continent.

For an overall assessment, however, it is appropriate to consider not only the absolute number, but also the total rate of asylum seekers per national population. In July, Greece recorded the highest density, with a rate of 46.1 per 100,000 inhabitants, ahead of Luxembourg (22.7) and Belgium (22.1).

The figures in absolute terms, however, are negative on an annual basis, i.e. a 27 per cent drop in total applications for protection compared to July 2024. On a monthly level, however, there is a slight 6 per cent increase.

In July 2025, 55 340 first-time asylum applicants (non-EU citizens) applied for international protection in EU countries.

There were also 11 515 subsequent applicants, a 41% rise compared with June 2025 (8 140).

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— EU_Eurostat (@EU_Eurostat) October 16, 2025

To achieve this, it cannot be denied that the controversial migration policies undertaken by the EU have been helpful. The EU is involved in funding North African countries, which are not always able to stem the problem of illegal immigration through compliance with international law. See, for example, the attacks of the so-called Libyan coast guard against African citizens heading for Europe,
collected in a report by the German NGO Sea Watch.

This is also why the largest group to have entered the EU does not come from Africa. Among those who have applied, Venezuelans are the largest group, with 6,600 applicants. There is also a strong migration from Afghanistan (4,900 applications) and Bangladesh (3,110), a country of which Italy hosts one of the main communities in Europe, with approximately 200,000 citizens.