Asylum applications in EU fall, but pressure on reception remains high
European figures show a clear decline, while more than a million applications are still awaiting a decision.
The number of first-time asylum applications in the European Union has fallen further in the available figures. In May 2026, Eurostat recorded 42,525 first-time applications from non-EU citizens, 22 per cent fewer than a year earlier.
The May figure was also 2 per cent lower than in April, when 43,360 first-time applications were recorded. These are people applying for international protection in an EU country for the first time; subsequent applications are excluded from this figure.
The decline fits a broader trend. In 2025, Eurostat counted around 669,400 first-time asylum applications in the EU, 26.6 per cent fewer than in 2024. The European Union Agency for Asylum says the downward trend continued in the first half of 2026.
The applications were not evenly distributed among the member states. Italy, Spain, France and Germany together received 75 per cent of the first-time applications in May. People from Venezuela formed the largest group, followed by people from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Sudan.
A lower number of new applications does not mean that reception and decision-making capacity immediately faces less pressure. Eurostat calculated that more than 1.15 million applications were awaiting a decision at the end of June. That figure was nevertheless 8.3 per cent lower than a year earlier.
The figures should also be compared with caution. The European migration and asylum pact entered into force on 12 June 2026. Eurostat used June as a transitional period and, from July, applies an adjusted definition of registered asylum applications.
The statistics also say nothing about the outcome of applications. An application is a request for protection, not proof that someone will receive protection. The political significance of the decline therefore also depends on its causes, such as changes in routes, border policy, conflicts and the speed with which procedures are processed.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The number of first-time asylum applications fell in the available EU figures.
- A large number of earlier applications are still awaiting a decision.
- The statistical definition changes from the second half of 2026 onwards.
Left
Arguments The decline should not be a reason to scale back reception, integration and access to a careful procedure; backlogs continue to leave people in uncertainty.
Values Human protection, international responsibility and equal treatment.
Consequences Cuts could worsen the quality of procedures and reception, even if the number of new applications is temporarily lower.
Centre
Arguments The figures call for stable policy: capacity should adjust, but not so sharply that the next increase immediately leads to a crisis.
Values Administrative continuity, feasibility and reliable statistics.
Consequences A combination of faster procedures, European cooperation and targeted reception could reduce the backlog without creating structural overcapacity.
Right
Arguments The decline creates room to organise reception on a smaller and stricter basis, strengthen border controls and return people without a right to stay.
Values National control, order and enforcement of admission rules.
Consequences An overly broad interpretation of falling figures could lead to new arrivals being underestimated; at the same time, a far-reaching restriction of reception could cause legal disputes and humanitarian problems.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures and methodological caveats were checked directly against Eurostat and EUAA. The article does not leap from fewer applications to lower migration or higher recognition rates.
- confirmed There were 42,525 first-time asylum applications in EU countries in May 2026. — Eurostat published this figure. source
- confirmed The number was 22 per cent lower than in May 2025. — Eurostat compares 42,525 with 54,765 applications. source
- confirmed The EU recorded around 669,400 first-time asylum applications in 2025. — Eurostat states this in the 2026 edition of Key figures on Europe. source
- confirmed More than 1.15 million applications were awaiting a decision at the end of June. — Eurostat reports more than 1.15 million pending applications. source
- confirmed The European definition of asylum applications changed around June and July 2026. — Eurostat describes the transition to the Asylum Manual 2026. source
Editor's note
The decline is well supported by Eurostat and EUAA figures. Because definitions changed around June and July 2026, monthly comparisons with later figures are less straightforward.Sources
- Asylum applications in May 2026 — Eurostat
- Key figures on Europe – 2026 edition — Eurostat
- Latest asylum trends: mid-year review 2026 — European Union Agency for Asylum
- Applications — Eurostat
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „asiel migratie”
- AD — „asiel migratie”
- de Volkskrant — „asiel migratie”