By Melike Pala
BRUSSELS (AA) - A total of 1,775 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum in European Union countries in September, Eurostat data released Tuesday showed.
Among these young asylum seekers, the largest groups originated from Eritrea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Venezuela, and Egypt.
The EU members receiving the highest numbers of unaccompanied minor applicants were the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain.
Overall, EU countries received 58,495 first-time asylum applications in September, marking a 24% decrease compared with the same month in 2024, but a 14% increase compared with August 2025.
In the third quarter of 2025, 209,860 first-instance asylum decisions were issued across the EU, with 43% resulting in protection status. Spain (25,005), Germany (23,325), and France (16,245) recorded the highest numbers of positive first-instance decisions.
Afghan, Venezuelan, and Ukrainian nationals were the main beneficiaries of protection during this period.