The number of asylum applications in the first quarter of this year saw a decline of nearly a quarter (23 percent) compared to the same period the previous year, hitting a record low. In total, 28,922 requests for protection were lodged in the first three months of the current year. This marks the first time since 2015 that Germany has secured the fourth spot in the European asylum statistics, having previously held the top position for years.
These figures, sourced from unpublished data revealed by the EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), were reported by the “Welt am Sonntag”, referencing a document from the European Commission dated April 1, 2026, which addresses the migration situation across the EU and third countries.
According to the statistics, the majority of protection applications were submitted in France (34,643), followed by Spain (32,630) and Italy (32,602). Hungary (26) and Slovakia (35) were the lowest contributors.
Overall, the 27 EU member states, plus Norway and Switzerland (the EU+ group), recorded a total of 173,082 asylum applications in the first quarter-an 18 percent decrease compared to the same time last year. The largest groups of applicants came from Venezuela (21,542), Afghanistan (21,402), and Bangladesh (9,738).
With regard to country of origin, Syria now ranks fifth, trailing Turkey in terms of asylum applicants. The number of protection requests from Syrians across the EU, plus Switzerland and Norway, fell by 63 percent by the end of March, totaling 5,556. Applications from Ukraine were also significantly down, recording only 4,073, which is a 57 percent decrease from the previous year.
Experts suggested that the dip in applications from Syria and Ukraine was a major contributing factor to the sharp drop in German asylum applications. Historically, both Syrians and Ukrainians frequently selected Germany as their destination. However, this year, only 9 percent of Syrian applications were lodged in Germany; instead, Afghan nationals accounted for most of the requests at 38 percent. It is noted that approximately 940,000 Syrian nationals currently reside in Germany.
