Europe · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
EU Records 332,000 Asylum Applications in First Half of 2026, Lowest Since 2021
EU, Switzerland, and Norway received about 332,000 asylum applications in H1 2026, down 17%. Decline linked to Syria's political transition and EU cooperation with origin and transit countries.
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6 of 8 outlets skipped it: war in Middle East did not increase asylum requests.
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EU asylum applications hit low
The European Union recorded about 332,000 international protection applications in the first half of 2026, a 17% decrease compared with the same period in 2025 and the lowest level for a half-year since 2021, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA).
“The countries of the European Union filed about 332,000 international protection applications in the first half of 2026”
France, Italy, Spain, and Germany accounted for about three-quarters of the applications recorded during January to June 2026, with France receiving about 69,000 requests and Italy about 66,000.
Afghan nationals were the main applicants during the first six months of the year with around 39,000 requests, followed by Venezuelan and Bangladeshi citizens among the groups with the highest number of applications.
The EUAA said the decline is linked to the political transition in Syria after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, and it warned the situation remains fragile.
Policies tighten, procedures speed
The EUAA said the war in the Middle East during the first six months of the year did not generate a significant increase in asylum applications across the Twenty-Seven, even as the bloc tightened migration and asylum rules.
Under new European rules that came into effect in June, applicants from countries with an international protection recognition rate below 20% may be subjected to accelerated procedures, and rejected applicants face faster removal procedures.
The EUAA also said less than one in three applications processed during the first half were approved, and it warned that low recognition rates could influence the volume of future requests.
Euronews reported that the new Migration and Asylum Pact entered into force on June 12 and introduced obligatory controls at the EU’s external borders and accelerated procedures for examining asylum applications.
Who is affected next
The EUAA data showed that three-quarters of asylum applications lodged between January and June 2026 came from four countries—France, Italy, Spain, and Germany—while Greece stood out as the EU country with the most asylum requests relative to its population.
“received about 332,000 international protection applications between January and June 2026”
Greece received approximately 23,000 asylum petitions between January and June 2026, and the EUAA said this should have an impact on future applications given that fewer than one third of processed applications were approved.
Euronews reported that among asylum seekers in Europe, 31% were granted international protection at first instance, and it said the refugee status was granted more often than subsidiary protection.
The EUAA also warned that political and security developments in Syria could once again alter migrant movements, even as it attributed part of the trend to EU efforts to strengthen cooperation with countries of origin and transit.