Latest Asylum Trends: Monthly Overview

Just under 54,000 applications for international protection were lodged in the EU+ in April 2026. This was 8% fewer than in March, the lowest monthly level since July 2021 and over a fifth less than the 2025 average. Although applications were also lower than in April 2025, the decrease was broadly in line with seasonal trends observed in the past.

The chart here shows applications lodged in the EU+ over the past two years, distinguishing between first-time applicants, repeated applicants and cases where the application type was unknown. Most applications continued to be lodged by first-time applicants. In April 2026, around 18% of all applications were repeated in the same EU+ country, broadly in line with recent months. This indicates that repeated applications continued to form a sizeable minority of the overall EU+ caseload. 

Afghans lodged the most applications in April 2026 (6,300) but the lowest number since September 2024. Afghan applications continued to decline from the sharp peak reached in September 2025. That earlier surge was driven largely by repeated applications in Germany from Afghan women already residing in the EU+, including some who had previously been granted subsidiary protection and sought refugee status following legal and policy clarification recognising Afghan women as potentially qualifying for protection due to the restrictions imposed under Taliban rule. The peak therefore did not reflect a comparable increase in newly arrived first-time applicants. In April 2026, 36% of Afghan applications were repeated in the same EU+ country, down substantially from the autumn 2025 peak but still representing a sizeable share of the Afghan caseload.  Read a recent EUAA Country of Origin Information (COI) report on Afghanistan: Major Legislative, Security-related, and Humanitarian Developments.

Venezuelans ranked second, with around 5,000 applications, of which just 3% were repeated. This represented a substantial decrease from around 7,000 applications in March and was the lowest monthly level since August 2024. Despite this decline, Venezuelans remained one of the two largest applicant groups in the EU+. Sources indicate that around eight million Venezuelans have fled the country since President Maduro took power in 2013, as the country experienced ‘economic mayhem, hyperinflation, hunger and increasingly authoritarian rule’. Read a recent EUAA COI query reports on Venezuela: Humanitarian and Socio-Economic Situation and the Treatment of Returnees back to Venezuela. 

Bangladeshis ranked third, with around 2,800 applications, of which 6% were repeated. This was a decrease compared with March, when around 3,300 applications were lodged. However, the April 2026 level remained substantially higher than in April 2025, when Bangladeshi applications were unusually low. Read a recent EUAA COI query report on Bangladesh: Procedure for Persons of Rohingya Origin.

Turks and Haitians each lodged around 1,900 applications, but their recent trajectories differed markedly. Turkish applications were broadly stable compared with March but continued a longer downward trend, reaching the lowest level over the past two years; repeated applications accounted for 30% of the total. In contrast, Haitian applications were also broadly stable compared with March but edged up to a new record level, following the sharp increase recorded the previous month. Almost all Haitian applications were lodged in France, and almost half were repeated applications in the same EU+ country. Read a recent EUAA COI query reports on Security Situation in Port-au-Prince and Situation of Women without Support Network in Port-au-Prince.

Sudanese lodged around 1,800 applications, an increase of 16% compared with March and twice the level recorded in April 2025. This increase came from a lower base than the largest applicant groups, and Sudanese applications remained below the higher levels recorded during the second half of 2025. The increase during recent months mostly took place in France and the Netherlands, while applications in Greece have continued to fall since the autumn of 2025. Repeated applications were rare among Sudanese applicants, accounting for just 4% of the total.

Egyptians, Malians and Syrians each lodged around 1,700 applications. Egyptian applications were broadly stable compared with March, while Malian applications decreased. Syrian applications also continued to decline, reaching the second lowest number on record and remaining far below the levels recorded during much of 2024, when Syrians were the main applying citizenship, and 2025. Around 14% of Syrian applications were repeated.

Somalis completed the top 10, with around 1,600 applications, of which 11% were repeated. Somali applications were broadly stable compared with March and slightly higher than in April 2025. Read a recent EUAA COI report on the Security Situation in Somalia.

Most of the main applying citizenships lodged fewer applications in April. The overall decrease was driven especially by lower numbers of Venezuelan, Bangladeshi and Afghan applications, with smaller declines also recorded among Syrians, Malians and several other citizenships. These decreases were only partly offset by the increase in Sudanese applications, while applications by Turks, Haitians, Egyptians and Somalis were broadly stable.

Taken together, the April 2026 data point to a further reduction in the EU+ asylum caseload. Afghans and Venezuelans remained the two largest applying citizenships despite Afghans declining to comparatively low levels, while Syrian applications continued to fall and remained far below their previous prominence. At the same time, the top 10 grid shows divergent patterns, with Haitian applications remaining at a record level and Sudanese applications increasing against the broader downward trend.

Iran

Iranian nationals lodged around 540 applications in April 2026, ranking 30th among all citizenships and remaining a relatively small contributor to the overall EU+ asylum inflow. This was almost a third lower than in March, when around 800 applications were lodged, and 11% lower than in April 2025. The April 2026 level was also below the 2025 monthly average and lower than the levels recorded during the autumn of last year. Over the past 12 months, Iranian applications have fluctuated considerably from month to month, but remained well below the levels recorded among the largest applicant groups. 

According to Frontex data on detections of Iranian nationals crossing irregularly the EU external border, there were just 61 detections, far below the higher levels recorded in mid-2025, when monthly detections reached around 500. This suggests that, based on the latest available border data, there is not yet evidence of a renewed increase in irregular border-crossings comparable to the levels seen in 2025.

A key question is whether the current context could generate a different dynamic and lead to significant flows towards the EU+. Previous increases, such as those observed following government crackdowns in 2022–2023, were gradual rather than abrupt and remained limited in scale compared with other major displacement situations. That said, given Iran’s large population of around 90 million, even a relatively small proportion seeking protection in the EU+ could translate into substantial application volumes over a short period of time. At present, however, Iranian applications remain comparatively low and should continue to be monitored. 

At EU+ level, developments among the main citizenships show a clear divergence between increasing and declining groups. Afghan applications increased by 37%, reaching around 117,000 and making Afghans the largest applying citizenship over the latest 12-month period. Venezuelan and Bangladeshi applications were stable, at around 85,000 and 39,000 respectively.

Several other citizenships recorded notable increases. Sudanese applications doubled to around 21,000, while Malian applications increased by 32%. More moderate increases were recorded among Haitians (+25%) and Somalis (+15%).

These increases were outweighed by large decreases among several previously high-volume citizenships. Most importantly, Syrian applications declined by 74%, falling to around 31,000 and representing by far the largest reduction among the main citizenships. Colombian applications (17,000) also fell sharply, by 61%. Other substantial declines were recorded for Ukrainians (−42%), Turks (−37%), Peruvians (−30%), Iraqis (−20%), Guineans (−17%), Moroccans (−16%) and Pakistanis (−13%).

While EU-level trends provide an overall picture, important differences emerge across the main receiving countries.

For example:

• In Germany, Afghan applications more than doubled (+124%) and were by far the largest component of the caseload in the latest 12-month period. This increase contrasted with large declines among the next largest citizenships, especially Syrians (−75%) and Turks (−48%), as well as substantial decreases among Iraqis, Russians and Iranians.
• In France, Haitians were the largest applying citizenship in the latest 12-month period and increased by 26%. Afghan and Congolese (DR) applications, also among the largest groups, were broadly stable, while Ukrainian applications recorded the clearest decline among the main citizenships, falling by 43%. Sudanese applications also increased by 36%, although from a lower volume.
• In Italy, Bangladeshis were by far the largest applying citizenship in the latest 12-month period despite a decrease of 6%. Among the other main groups, Peruvian applications declined by 10%, while Egyptian applications increased by 39%, representing the clearest growth among the high-volume citizenships. Afghan and Nepalese applications also rose sharply, but from much lower bases.
• In Spain, Venezuelans were overwhelmingly the largest applying citizenship and increased by 6%, while Malian applications rose by 57% and became a more prominent part of the caseload. In contrast, Colombian applications recorded the largest absolute decline, falling by 67%, while Peruvians and Senegalese also lodged far fewer applications.
• In Greece, Afghans were the top applying citizenship in both reporting periods, despite a decrease of 26%. At the same time, Sudanese applications increased more than fivefold and Bangladeshi applications more than fourfold, both from lower bases, substantially changing the composition of the caseload. The increase in Sudanese applications was especially concentrated in the second half of 2025, when Greece became a much more prominent destination for Sudanese applicants, although monthly numbers have since fallen from their autumn peak. Syrian applications recorded the largest decline, falling by 86%.

Overall, the latest 12-month comparison confirms a downward direction of trends among the main citizenships, despite increases for several groups. The most important structural change remains the sharp fall in Syrian applications, accompanied by large decreases among Colombians, Ukrainians, Turks and Peruvians. These declines were only partly offset by higher numbers of Afghan, Sudanese, Malian and Haitian applications, leading to a lower and differently composed EU+ asylum caseload.
 

The highest per capita level was recorded in Cyprus, with around 340 applications per million inhabitants. It was followed by Greece with around 300 applications per million inhabitants, Luxembourg with around 210 and Ireland with around 200. These countries therefore received substantially more applications relative to population size than the EU+ level.

Several other EU+ countries were also above the EU+ level. For example, Spain, France, Switzerland, Belgium and Italy each recorded around 170–180 applications per million inhabitants. 

Per capita analysis also shows how countries with very different total numbers of applications can experience similar relative levels. For example, Italy received around 10,000 applications, while Belgium received around 2,100. However, because of their different population sizes, both countries recorded very similar per capita levels, at around 174 and 175 applications per million inhabitants, respectively. Similarly, France and Spain received different absolute numbers of applications, but their per capita levels were almost the same.

Germany received around 8,800 applications in absolute terms, making it one of the main receiving countries in the EU+. However, given its larger population, this translated into 106 applications per million inhabitants, below the EU+ level. The Netherlands, with around 2,200 applications, was close to the EU+ level, at 124 applications per million inhabitants.

At the other end of the scale, several countries received very low numbers of applications per capita. These included Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Lithuania, Czechia and Portugal, each well below the EU+ level.

Overall, while applications in absolute terms were concentrated mainly in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, the per capita picture provides a different perspective on relative pressure. It highlights the comparatively high levels recorded in Cyprus, Greece, Luxembourg and Ireland, while showing that some large receiving countries, notably Germany, were below the EU+ level once population size is taken into account.

As well as receiving applications for international protection, EU+ countries also provide support through temporary protection to persons displaced by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Overall, the EU+ hosts about 4.5 million beneficiaries of temporary protection, with the largest numbers in Germany and Poland. However, relative to population size, Czechia and Poland host the most beneficiaries, illustrating how the per capita picture changes when temporary protection is also taken into account. For more information, read a recent UNHCR report: Transitioning from Temporary Protection: Projected Stay, Legal Pathways, and Policy Options for Refugees from Ukraine.