Asylum requests from Albanians in Europe have fallen by nearly 30% this year. However, these are being replaced by applications for work permits, mainly in Italy, Greece, and Germany.

The number of asylum requests filed by Albanian citizens in European Union countries has dropped significantly this year. Between January and July, there were a total of 3,100 applications, compared to 3,970 during the same period last year.

But there is another legal way to go to Europe — through work permits. Eurostat reports that between 2022 and 2024, an average of 20,000 work permits were issued annually to Albanians, mostly in Italy, Greece, and Germany — a sharp increase compared to the 3,000–4,000 permits granted a decade ago.

The number of those leaving with work permits is now nearly twice as high as those trying to migrate through asylum applications. Other Eurostat data show that in 2022 there were 15,000 asylum requests from Albanian citizens in EU countries; in 2023, the number dropped to 11,000, and in 2024 it fell further to 9,300.

According to the latest data published by Eurostat, in July 2025 there were a total of 55,340 first-time asylum applications from non-EU citizens. This represents a 27% decrease compared to July of last year, but a 6% increase compared to June 2025.

In the same month, 11,515 repeated applications were also submitted — a notable rise of 62% compared to the same period last year and 41% higher than the previous month.

At the EU level, the rate of first-time applications per population was 12.3 per 100,000 inhabitants, while Greece recorded the highest concentration, with 46.1 applications per 100,000 inhabitants.