Portugal: Asylum Applications Fall, but Concerns Remain

Series: The Root Causes of Migration 

Behind the fall in asylum applications in Portugal lies a more complex reality: fewer people are applying for protection, but thousands are still waiting for an answer. For those seeking safety, the numbers tell only part of the story.

According to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), Portugal registered 1,763 new asylum applications in 2025, compared with 2,797 in 2024, which represents a drop of 37%. This decline follows a broader European trend, as asylum applications across EU+ countries fell for the second year in a row.

CC Picture of Lisbon’s streets, Portugal

In total, around 800,000 asylum applications were lodged across the EU+ area in 2025, down from more than one million the previous year. The EU+ includes the 27 EU member states, as well as Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The EUAA has linked the decline to several factors, including political developments in key countries of origin, such as Syria.

Despite the political attention given to migration in Portugal, the country continues to receive only a very small share of asylum claims in Europe. In 2025, applications in Portugal represented just 0.2% of all asylum applications in EU+ countries.

While new applications have decreased, the number of pending cases has sharply increased. By the end of December 2025, Portugal had 8,730 asylum cases waiting for a decision, compared with 4,510 one year earlier. This growing backlog raises serious concerns about the capacity of the asylum system to respond quickly and fairly.

The fall in asylum applications is also taking place in a changing political context. Since taking office in 2024, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government has introduced several measures aimed at tightening immigration controls. In March 2026, the government approved a bill to strengthen the removal of undocumented migrants.

The proposal includes faster deportation procedures, longer re-entry bans and a major extension of the maximum time migrants can be held in temporary detention centres, from 60 days to up to 18 months. The bill must still be debated in parliament, and its approval may depend on support from parties outside the governing coalition, including the far-right Chega party.

The government argues that these measures are necessary to enforce immigration rules more effectively. However, human rights organisations and migrant support groups have raised concerns about the potential impact of longer detention periods and accelerated procedures, particularly for vulnerable people.

The full report can be found here.