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By Euronews with AFP
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Asylum applications in Europe reached a five-year low in the first half of the year, according to new data from the European Union Agency for Asylum.
EU member states plus Switzerland and Norway received about 332,000 applications for international protection in the first six months of 2026. It represents a 17% decline compared to the same period last year, following a downward trend since 2024.
The bloc’s asylum agency said this decline is due to the ongoing political transition in Syria as well as the EU’s cooperation with countries of origin and transit.
It added the escalation of conflicts in the Middle East has not led to a rise in asylum requests in Europe.
The EU has for instance signed agreements with Tunisia and Mauritania, providing financial aid in exchange of border control in a bid to curb irregular migration flows.
The countries that received the most asylum applications were France (69,000), followed by Italy (66,000), Spain (55,000) and Germany (55,000). For its part, Greece received the most applications per capita (23,000), with one application for every 400 or so residents.
Of those asylum applicants, 31% were granted international protection at first instance. Refugee status was more frequently granted than subsidiary protection.
The countries of origin with the highest recognition rate were Mali (87%), Haiti (84%) and Afghanistan (73%).
Meanwhile, the largest applicant groups were Afghans (39,000), Venezuelans (33,500) and Bangladeshis (19,500).
These figures follow the entry into application of the new Pact on Migration and Asylum on 12 June, overhauling the EU’s migration and asylum system.
The new rules introduced mandatory checks at EU’s external borders and fast-tracked examination procedures of asylum requests.
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