Cyprus stays high on EU asylum map as first-time applications decline 

Cyprus remained among the European Union countries with the highest number of first-time asylum applications relative to its population in 2025, even as the bloc recorded a sharp fall in overall claims, according to data published by Eurostat this week.

Across the EU, 669,400 first-time asylum applicants from non-EU countries sought international protection last year, down 27 per cent from 912,400 in 2024, Eurostat said.

First-time applicants accounted for 83.9 per cent of...