EU asylum requests drop to five-year low

Afghans were the largest group of applicants, with 39,000 requests for protection, followed by Venezuelans and Bangladeshis.(AFP) — Asylum applications to the European Union dropped to a five-year low in the first half of 2026, continuing a downward trend partly driven by tougher migration policies, the bloc’s asylum agency said Thursday.The European Union, Switzerland and Norway — collectively known as the EU+ — received 332,000 applications for international protection from January through June, 17% fewer than during the same period last year.“This is the lowest number recorded in the first half of a year since 2021,” the European Union Agency for Asylum said.The agency attributed the decrease to Syria’s political transition, which has resulted in a sharp drop in applications from Syrian nationals, as well as the EU’s “efforts in cooperating with countries of origin and transit.”Brussels has recently struck deals with North African countries, including Tunisia and Mauritania, providing aid and investment in exchange for help managing migration.War in the Middle East also had not resulted in a feared increase in applications from affected countries, the agency said.Afghans were the largest group of applicants, with 39,000 requests for protection, followed by Venezuelans and Bangladeshis.Fewer than one-third of the applications processed during the first six months of the year were approved, the agency said, noting that the low approval rate could affect future requests.Under rules that took effect in June, applicants from countries with recognition rates below 20% undergo expedited procedures that can lead to swift deportation if their applications are rejected.The same applies to applicants from countries the EU considers safe.“In the first half of 2026, nearly 56% of applications were from citizenships meeting one or more of these criteria,” the agency said.Among EU nations, France received the most applications, with 69,000, followed by Italy with 66,000 and Spain and Germany with 55,000 each.Greece received 23,000 applications, the highest number per capita.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads