The number of asylum applications in Europe appears to be declining. During the first nine months of the current year, a total of 452,969 protection applications were registered across the European Union, plus Norway and Switzerland (EU+). This figure represents a 24.3% decrease compared to the same period last year, when 598,575 applications were filed.
These figures, which have not yet been publicly released, originate from the EU Asylum Agency (EUAA) and are cited by “Die Welt am Sonntag” from a confidential document issued by the EU Commission on October 1, 2026, detailing the migration situation in Europe.
Relating to specific destination countries, Germany placed third in the current year according to the EU report, having received 70,257 protection applications since January. Leading the list are France with 98,822 applications, followed by Italy with 78,496. The countries registering the fewest applicants are Malta (294), Slovakia (131), and Hungary (83).
In Germany, the majority of applicants during the first nine months were from Afghanistan (23%), Syria (12%), and Turkey (10%). Looking at the combined EU+, Norway, and Switzerland figures, the largest groups of applicants came from Afghanistan (52,361), Venezuela (37,294), and Bangladesh (26,497). Separately, 6,420 applicants filed for asylum from Russia.
Furthermore, a total of 12,182 people from Ukraine applied for asylum. France was the primary destination for Ukrainian applicants, receiving 49% of them, followed by Poland (13%), Romania (6%), and Germany (5%).
