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EU asylum applications fall 24% in first nine months of 2026
Asylum applications in the EU, Norway, and Switzerland (EU+) have decreased by 24.3 percent during the first nine months of 2026 compared to the previous year. According to a confidential EU Commission document dated October 1, 2026, a total of 452,969 protection requests were registered in this period.
France has become the primary destination for asylum seekers in the region, recording 98,822 applications, followed by Italy with 78,496. Germany has dropped to third place, with 70,257 applications recorded since January. In contrast, countries like Malta, Slovakia, and Hungary reported the lowest numbers.
In Germany, the majority of applicants originated from Afghanistan (23 percent), Syria (12 percent), and Turkey (10 percent). Across the EU+ region, the top three countries of origin were Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Bangladesh. Additionally, 12,182 people from Ukraine applied for asylum, with nearly half of those requests filed in France.
Entities
Alexander Dobrindt · European Commission · European Court of Justice · European Union · European Union Agency for Asylum · Federal Office for Migration and Refugees · France · Frontex · Germany
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 13 SOURCES] Asylum applications in the EU, Norway, and Switzerland (EU+) fell by 24.3 percent in the first nine months of 2026 compared to the previous year. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · +6 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] The data is contained in a confidential EU Commission document dated October 1, 2026. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · presse-augsburg.de · www.morgenpost.de · +6 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Germany recorded 5,276 first-time asylum applications in September, a 40 percent decrease from September of the previous year. www.zeit.de · 24-ore.com · www.tagesschau.de
- [● 13 SOURCES] 12,182 people from Ukraine applied for asylum, with 49 percent of those requests filed in France. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · lomazoma.com · presse-augsburg.de · +6 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Bangladesh are the top three countries of origin for asylum seekers in the EU+ region. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · lomazoma.com · presse-augsburg.de · +6 more
- [● 3 SOURCES] Alexander Dobrindt stated that the decline in asylum numbers is a result of national and European measures. www.zeit.de · 24-ore.com · www.tagesschau.de
- [● 13 SOURCES] Germany ranks third in asylum applications with 70,257 requests since January. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · +6 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] France recorded the highest number of asylum applications with 98,822, followed by Italy with 78,496. www.rtl.de · radioosnabrueck.de · digitaldaily.de · www.it-boltwise.de · lomazoma.com · +6 more