The flow of asylum seekers to Europe fell by 17%: which countries received the most applications

In the first half of 2026, the number of asylum applications in the EU countries, Norway, and Switzerland decreased by 17% – to approximately 332,000. This is the lowest level since 2019, excluding the pandemic period. The trend of declining applications for asylum was noted already at the end of 2025. This is reported by InPoland.

Where were the most asylum applications submitted in 2026

The most popular destination was France, which received about 69,000 applications in the first six months of the year. Italy took second place with 66,000, and Spain came third with 55,000.

Germany, which was previously the leader in the number of applicants, dropped to fourth place. In the first half of the year, around 54,000 applications were registered there.

Compared to the same period last year, the number in Germany decreased by about 50%. One possible reason cited is the increased control at land borders introduced by the country in 2024.

The change in statistics occurs simultaneously with the reform of the European migration system. Since June 12, the EU Migration Pact has been in effect, which includes new procedures for processing applications, increased border control, and a mechanism for distributing the burden among countries.

Why the number of asylum seekers is decreasing in Europe

In the first six months of 2026, approximately 68,000 fewer asylum seekers approached the EU countries, Norway, and Switzerland compared to the same period last year.

Germany shows one of the largest declines among the main destination countries. At the same time, France and Italy are now receiving more applications, changing the traditional distribution of migration flows within Europe.

Importantly, this statistic concerns only asylum applications, not Ukrainians who are in the EU under the temporary protection mechanism. A separate legal regime applies to them.

The European Union is also tightening rules for regular asylum seekers. Previously, Inkorr reported on stricter EU migration rules that entail accelerating certain application processing procedures and the return of foreigners.