The 2015 European migrant crisis saw approximately 1.3 million asylum seekers enter Europe in a single year, the largest such influx since World War II.
Key Facts
- Asylum seekers (2015)
- ~1.3 million people
- Germany asylum applications
- Over 440,000 (0.5% of population)
- Hungary asylum applications
- 174,000 (1.8% of population)
- Sweden asylum applications
- 156,000 (1.6% of population)
- Largest origin group
- Syrians
- Largest single-year total since
- World War II
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Escalating wars in the Middle East, ISIL's territorial expansion during the Arab Winter, and the decisions by Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt to stop accepting Syrian asylum seekers drove large numbers of people to seek refuge in Europe. Syrians formed the largest group, alongside Afghans, Pakistanis, Iraqis, Nigerians, Eritreans, and people from the Balkans.
Beginning around 2015, approximately 1.3 million people entered Europe to request asylum—the highest single-year figure since World War II. EU member states responded unevenly: Germany suspended its enforcement of the Dublin Regulation and accepted the largest share, while many other governments closed borders or refused arrivals. Poor migration infrastructure created humanitarian emergencies along the major routes.
The crisis deepened political polarization across Europe, boosted right-wing populist parties, and eroded public confidence in the EU. Governments implemented stricter asylum policies, and debates about cultural integration, European values, and demographic change intensified. Conspiracy theories such as the Great Replacement gained wider circulation alongside increased anti-immigration protests.