The webinar opened with welcoming remarks from Magnus Ovilius, Head of Sector and Senior Expert for Forecasting, Preparedness and Policy Monitoring at the European Commission and coordinator of the EMN, who recalled the network’s core mission of providing reliable and comparable information on asylum and migration and highlighted its continued growth of the network. He underlined the value of the European Asylum and Migration Overview as one of the network’s flagship products, while thanking EMN Member and Observer Countries for their valuable contributions. He also acknowledged the important role of civil society organisations and researchers in enriching the work of the network.

A representative from Eurostat then shared key statistical insights from the Statistical Annex, highlighting that 30.9 million third-country nationals were residing in the EU and Norway as of 1 January 2025, representing 6.8% of the population, and that 673.000 first-time applications for international protection were lodged in 2025. The presentation highlighted that nationals of Venezuela became the largest group of first-time applicants for international protection, accounting for 13.3% of applications, overtaking Syrian nationals. Afghan nationals represented the largest group granted protection at first instance, followed by Venezuelan and Ukrainian nationals, while Syrian nationals were the largest group among those granted protection following an appeal. The presentation also noted that more than 4.4 million persons benefited from temporary protection at the end of 2025, reflecting the continued impact of displacement from Ukraine.

The Chair of the Asylum and Migration Overview (AMO) Working Group presented the main trends emerging from the 2025 edition, highlighting developments at both EU and national levels. At EU level, these included the implementation of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the first annual migration management cycle, developments related to return, safe country concepts and migrant smuggling, as well as progress on large-scale EU IT systems. At national level, the presentation highlighted evolving policy priorities, including efforts to open legal pathways for specific categories of third-country nationals while tightening policies in response to security concerns and the misuse of legal avenues. Other developments included responses to challenges in asylum and reception systems, the digitalisation of migration management, labour market integration, sustainable approaches towards persons displaced from Ukraine, the protection of vulnerable groups and cooperation with third countries.

The webinar also showcased two concrete examples illustrating how national administrations and organisations are translating these trends into practice. Liis Valk, Head of the Identity and Status Bureau at the Police and Border Guard Board of Estonia, presented Estonia’s experience in digitalising migration management, including the development of integrated digital solutions and services. Raffaela Tonegutti, Team Leader Human Mobility at Enabel, shared Belgium’s experience in developing entrepreneurship mobility and talent partnerships, including initiatives such as the "Boosting Gambian Talents" project supporting links between entrepreneurs and investors in Belgium and The Gambia.

The launch event also provided an opportunity to thank all contributors who supported the preparation of the European Asylum and Migration Overview 2025, as well as the speakers and participants who joined the webinar. The EMN will continue to promote the accessibility and dissemination of the overview and encourages readers to consult the publication and its Statistical Annex to explore the key trends and developments in greater detail.