Newsroom
More than 600 minors applied for asylum in Cyprus in 2025, according to new figures released by Eurostat, highlighting how children continue to make up a significant share of people seeking protection across Europe.
The data showed that Cyprus recorded 635 asylum applications from minors this year, out of a total of 2,385 first-time asylum applications filed on the island.
Across the European Union, 158,400 minors applied for asylum for the first time in 2025, accounting for nearly one in four asylum applications submitted in the bloc.
Of those children, 13.3% were unaccompanied minors, children who arrived without a parent or guardian, representing 3.8% of all asylum applicants in the EU.
The figures offer another snapshot of the human side of migration, with many of the applicants being children fleeing war, instability, poverty or dangerous living conditions.
Among EU countries, Austria recorded the highest percentage of minors among first-time asylum applicants at 57.3%, followed by Germany at 44.9% and Finland at 31.2%.
Meanwhile, the highest shares of unaccompanied minors were recorded in Slovenia, Latvia, Bulgaria, Netherlands and Lithuania.
According to Eurostat, most child asylum seekers in the EU came from Asia, accounting for 39% of cases. Another 27.3% came from African countries, while 18.2% came from the Americas and 13.9% from non-EU European countries.
The largest groups among minor asylum applicants were citizens of Afghanistan, who made up 16.9% of the total, followed by Syria at 13% and Venezuela at 10.7%.
Among unaccompanied minors specifically, Afghan children again represented the largest group, followed by children from Eritrea and Syria.
Eurostat also reported that EU countries issued nearly 230,000 asylum decisions involving minors in 2025. Protection status was ultimately granted to more than 119,000 child applicants, either through initial decisions or after appeals.
For Cyprus, the figures come as migration and asylum pressures remain a politically sensitive issue, with authorities continuing efforts to manage arrivals while balancing humanitarian obligations and growing public debate over the island’s capacity to cope.
