Asylum applications in EU down 19% in March 2026

BRUSSELS, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 16th Jun, 2026) Around 47,100 first-time asylum applicants from non-EU countries applied for international protection in European Union countries in March 2026, representing a 19% decrease compared with March 2025 and a 1% increase compared with February 2026.

According to data published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, 10,075 subsequent applicants sought asylum in the EU during the month. This was 28% higher than in March 2025 and 11% above the level recorded in February 2026.

Venezuelans remained the largest group of first-time asylum applicants, lodging 6,880 applications. They were followed by applicants from Afghanistan and Syria.

Italy, Spain, France and Germany together accounted for 80% of all first-time asylum applications submitted across the EU in March.

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The rate of first-time asylum applicants in the EU stood at 10.5 per 100,000 people. The highest rates were recorded in Greece, Spain and Cyprus.

A total of 1,035 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU. Most came from Somalia, Venezuela and Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, EU countries issued 205,945 first-instance decisions on asylum applications during the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 4% compared with the same period of 2025.

Of those decisions, 41% were positive, granting protection status to 84,925 people. Germany, Spain and France recorded the highest numbers of positive first-instance decisions during the quarter.