The number of asylum applications in the first quarter of this year saw a reduction of nearly a quarter-23 percent-compared to the same period of the previous year, reaching a record low. Across the first three months of the current year, a total of 28,922 applications for protection were filed. With this figure, Germany secured the fourth spot in the European asylum statistics for the first time since 2015, after previously holding the top position for many years.
This information is reported by “Welt am Sonntag” citing unreleased figures from the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). These statistics originate from a report from the EU Commission, dated April 1, 2026, concerning the migration situation in the EU and third countries (titled “Integration Situation Awareness and Analysis”, Report No. 520).
According to the statistics, France accounted for the majority of protection applications with 34,643, followed by Spain (32,630) and Italy (32,602). Other notable contributors were Hungary (26) and Slovakia (35).
Overall, across the 27 member states, plus Norway and Switzerland (EU+), a total of 173,082 asylum applications were recorded in the first quarter-an 18 percent decrease from the comparable period last year. The primary groups of applicants came from Venezuela (21,542), Afghanistan (21,402), and Bangladesh (9,738).
In terms of country of origin, Syria is now ranked fifth, behind Turkey, which was the case in previous years. The number of protection applications filed by Syrians in the EU plus Switzerland and Norway dropped by 63 percent by the end of March, totaling 5,556. Applications also decreased significantly from Ukraine, with the count at 4,073, marking a 57 percent reduction compared to the previous year.
Experts point to the sharp decline in applications from Syria and Ukraine as a major contributing factor to the drop in asylum claims in Germany. Syria and Ukraine had historically often chosen Germany as their destination country. However, in this year, only nine percent of applications for protection from Syrians were lodged in Germany; instead, Afghan nationals submitted the majority of applications at 38 percent. Currently, approximately 940,000 Syrian nationals reside in Germany.