Sweden has seen a sharp decline in asylum applications during the first six months of 2025, with numbers falling by 30% compared to the same period in 2024. The Swedish Migration Agency

attributes the drop to recent political reforms that have made the country less attractive to asylum seekers.

“Sweden’s appeal as a destination country continues to diminish in line with the new migration policies,” said Director-General Maria Mindhammar in a press release.

Between January and June, 3,750 individuals applied for asylum—down significantly from last year. The decline is largely linked to stricter rules that took effect in April. Under the new regulations, individuals who have been denied asylum or deported must now wait five years before reapplying, an increase from the previous four-year period.

Mindhammar also noted that the EU’s new asylum and migration pact is likely to reduce asylum numbers further in the coming years.

As a result, the Migration Agency has revised its forecast downward. It now expects 6,500 asylum applications in 2025—500 fewer than previously projected—and 5,500 in 2026, a reduction of 1,300.

These figures do not include Ukrainians covered under the EU’s mass flight directive, which remains in effect until March 2027. The agency anticipates 9,000 Ukrainians will seek protection in Sweden this year, and 7,000 in 2026.

Meanwhile, the number of citizenship cases is also expected to decline. The agency predicts it will process around 55,000 citizenship cases annually through 2026—a decrease of 10,000—due to enhanced security measures that are extending processing times. Photo by Frankie Fouganthin, Wikimedia commons.