The number of asylum applications across the EU, Switzerland, and Norway continued to decline during the first half of 2026. According to the European Union’s Asylum Agency, roughly 332,000 applications for international protection were filed, marking the lowest figure seen since 2021. This represents a 17 percent decrease compared to the same period last year, reflecting a sustained trend observed since late 2024. This reduction is attributed to both shifts in the nationalities submitting the applications and the EU’s ongoing cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
Within the Union, Germany is no longer the most popular destination for asylum seekers. Instead, France recorded the highest number of requests in the first half of 2026 with 69,000 applications. Following France were Italy (66,000), Spain (55,000), and Germany itself (55,000). These four nations collectively accounted for about three-quarters of all asylum applications. Greece, meanwhile, registered the highest number of applications per capita.
Looking at specific national trends, applications from Afghanistan dropped seven percent year-on-year after a sharp increase at the end of 2025, which had been primarily due to repeated applications from Afghan women already present in Europe. Meanwhile, applications from Venezuela saw a reduction of nearly a third; 93 percent of these were filed in Spain. In contrast, applications from Bangladesh remained among the most frequent, increasing by 13 percent compared to the previous year.
Overall, the recognition rate for international protection within the EU+ region stood at 31 percent during the first half of 2026.
