1
 Overview​

Key Findings

  • In February 2026, the EU+ received 57,000 applications for international protection, the lowest level since the COVID-19 lockdowns.
  • Following the ousting of the Assad regime in December 2024, far fewer Syrians have been applying for asylum. In February 2026, Syrians lodged just 1,900 applications, ranked 6th among all citizenships.
  • Afghans lodged the most applications in February 2026 (7,300), followed by Venezuelans (7,000) and Bangladeshis (3,600).
  • In February 2026, 31% of all asylum decisions granted either refugee status or subsidiary protection.
  • There were 822,000 cases awaiting a first instance decision at the end of February 2026. It is estimated that the total number of pending cases, including those in appeal or review, at the end of January 2026 (latest data) was approximately 1.2 million.