Asylum applications fall to lowest level in EU since 2021
The EU asylum agency said political changes in Syria and tighter cooperation with transit countries helped drive the decline.
- On Sept 10, the European Union Agency reported that The European Union received 332,000 Asylum applications in the first half of 2026, a 17 per cent decline from the same period in 2025.
- The EUAA attributed the decrease to a political transition in Syria, which sharply reduced applications from its nationals, alongside the bloc's 'efforts in cooperating with countries of origin and transit' with Tunisia and Mauritania.
- France received 69,000 applications, followed by Italy with 66,000, while Spain and Germany each recorded 55,000; Greece saw the highest requests per capita at 23,000, with Afghans remaining the largest applicant group at 39,000.
- Under rules effective recently, applicants from countries with Less than 20 per cent recognition rates or those deemed 'safe' undergo expedited procedures, which the EUAA noted will impact future Asylum requests.
- Despite ongoing War in the Middle East, the agency reported no feared increase in applications from affected nations, suggesting regional instability has not yet directly driven higher Asylum pressure on The European Union borders.
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The number of recipients of asylum seekers' benefits in Germany has fallen.
EU countries accounted for approximately 332,000 asylum applications in the first half of 2026, down by 17%, the lowest level of half a year since 2021.
According to the latest review of the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA) published on Thursday 10 September, in the first half of 2026 the countries of the European Union experienced a 17% decrease in asylum applications. With some 332,000 applications lodged, the Twenty-Sevenths recorded the lowest number over a six-month period since 2021. This trend began in 2024, especially since the change of regime in Syria.
The number of people submitting asylum applications in Europe has been declining for some time. The drop began before the new European migration pact came into effect.
EU asylum claims drop to lowest level in five years, but many still lost at sea
Despite increased calls to curb migration, asylum application numbers have been following a downward trend, due to geopolitical circumstances and EU cooperation with third countries. Migrants deaths on the journey, however, are far from dropping.
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