Denmark granted just 839 asylum requests by the end of November 2025 — a historic low for a country of six million people — while Sweden recorded a 30 percent year-on-year drop in asylum applications, according to figures released by the two governments.

Both governments published the numbers ahead of upcoming elections, and both link the decline directly to deliberate policy choices. The figures mark the sharpest contraction in Scandinavian asylum numbers in recent memory.

What do the Danish numbers show?

Denmark's immigration ministry reported 1,835 registered asylum requests by November 2025, of which 839 were approved. "There have been very few years when the annual total remained below 1,000 ... 2025 will be a year with a historically low number of residence permits granted on asylum grounds," the ministry said in a statement.

Immigration Minister Rasmus Stoklund framed the result as a policy success. "It is absolutely critical that as few foreigners as possible come to Denmark and obtain asylum. My main priority is to limit the influx of refugees," Stoklund said in a press release.

The 2025 figure sits below the 2024 total, when Denmark approved 860 of the 2,333 asylum claims filed.

For more than two decades, far-right parties have shaped Denmark's immigration framework. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and her Social Democrats have pursued a "zero refugee" policy since taking office in 2019, layering on measures designed to discourage arrivals and make Danish citizenship harder to obtain.

How steep is Sweden's decline?

Sweden's drop is equally sharp in relative terms. Migration Minister Johan Forssell confirmed that applications fell 30 percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.

"It's a sharp decrease. A 30 percent drop in just one year," Forssell said. Since the current government took power in 2022, he added, asylum requests have fallen by 60 percent, while returns to countries of origin have risen by 60 percent.

Sweden granted 79,684 residence permits in 2025. Only 6 percent of those were asylum-related — down from 18 percent in 2018, when the country issued 133,025 permits. Around 8,312 people returned to their countries of origin during 2025.

Which rules changed?

The Swedish center-right government, a minority coalition backed by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, has introduced a package of restrictive measures:

• Financial incentives for voluntary returns — from 2026, immigrants who voluntarily return to their country of origin can receive up to 350,000 kronor (approximately 30,800 euros)
• Stricter conditions for citizenship
• Tightened family reunification rules
• Cooperation with countries of origin on returns, including for migrants convicted of crimes

What comes next?

More reforms are on the table ahead of Sweden's parliamentary elections on September 13, 2026. The government is considering revoking Swedish citizenship from dual nationals under certain conditions, such as criminal convictions. It is also weighing deportation of migrants who fail to live by an "honest living" standard — a measure critics say remains vague and undefined.

In Denmark, no loosening of the framework is expected. The ministry's own framing treats the sub-1,000 figure as confirmation that current policies are working as intended.

Who is affected?

The changes touch anyone applying for asylum or family reunification in the two countries, as well as permanent residents weighing voluntary return and, potentially in Sweden, dual nationals with criminal convictions. Applicants already in the system face tighter approval odds: Denmark's 2024 data showed approvals running at roughly 37 percent of filed claims, and the 2025 totals suggest the intake itself is shrinking.

How does this fit the wider European picture?

The Danish and Swedish figures reflect a broader European movement toward stricter immigration controls. Several countries have revised their asylum rules in recent years, and the European Parliament approved new measures in December 2025 aimed at strengthening the continent's migration policy.

For the latest official figures and application requirements, readers should consult the Danish immigration ministry and the Swedish Migration Agency directly, as both governments continue to adjust rules ahead of the 2026 election cycle.