News

The EUAA has just published a new Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Pakistan. The report highlights an increasingly volatile security situation in Pakistan, exacerbated by economic turmoil and political instability, with the country ranked as the most terrorism-affected in 2025.

While the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML-N), in coalition with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and smaller allies, remained in power and strengthened its parliamentary position through November 2025 by-elections, the political opposition led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) remained constrained by arrests, legal proceedings, and disqualifications. Meanwhile, violence increased in scale and lethality in 2024–2025, with militancy identified as the main driver of insecurity amid intensified state responses. The violence was largely concentrated in the provinces of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, which accounted for most incidents and fatalities.

Enforced disappearances, arbitrary detention, and restrictions on civic space in Pakistan continued, with allegations of legal action and arrests affecting political activists, journalists, and opposition figures. The space for dissent was described as shrinking amid the deployment of security and anti-terrorism laws. Incidents of discrimination and violence against ethnic and religious minorities were also reported. Additional concerns were reported regarding women and children, as well as LGBTIQ+ persons, who faced alleged violence, discrimination, and limited access to services. 

EU Asylum situation for Pakistani nationals

Between November 2024 and March 2026, Pakistani nationals lodged 27 000 applications for international protection in the EU+. In 2025, applications (19 000) decreased by almost a fifth compared to the previous year, reaching the lowest number since 2020. In the first three months of 2026, applications (4 400) continued to decrease, representing a year-on-year decrease of around a fifth. 

In the 17 months up to March 2026, more than half of the applications were lodged in Italy, the main EU+ country of destination for Pakistani applicants since 2017, followed by Greece and France. The recognition rate for Pakistani applicants was 12 %. At the end of March 2026, nearly 30 000 Pakistani applications were awaiting a decision at first instance, representing a slight decrease compared to the beginning of 2025 (34 000), when pending cases had reached their highest level since 2016.