Key facts
- EU and Schengen zone countries received 332,000 asylum applications in the first half of the year.
- This figure marks a 17% reduction compared to 2025.
- New EU policies include establishing "return hubs" in third countries for failed asylum seekers.
- Illegal border crossings into the EU have decreased by 55% over the last two years.
- Germany experienced a 50% year-on-year decline in asylum applications.
Asylum applications across the European Union and Schengen zone countries have seen a significant decrease, with 332,000 applications lodged in the first half of the year, a 17% reduction from 2025. EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner stated that the bloc's new migration policy is yielding positive results, emphasizing the need to strengthen efforts at Europe's borders.
These new policies, implemented earlier this year, include the establishment of "return hubs" in third countries such as Albania and Rwanda, where unsuccessful asylum seekers and migrants can be sent. The EU has also identified lists of "safe countries" from which asylum claims are unlikely to be successful, barring exceptional circumstances.
Several EU member states have reported historic lows in asylum applications. Germany, a proponent of enhanced powers to deport failed asylum seekers, witnessed a 50% year-on-year decrease. Sweden recorded its lowest application numbers in 40 years last year, while Denmark, known for its strict stance on migration, registered a historic low of 1,835 applications by the end of November. Austria has also seen its fewest applications in 23 years, with more failed asylum seekers being returned than new arrivals.
Overall, illegal border crossings into the EU have fallen by 55% in the past two years, a trend attributed to agreements struck with neighboring countries like Turkey and Serbia to manage irregular migration. The political climate, with far-right parties gaining traction in upcoming elections across several EU nations, is also influencing governments to demonstrate effective action on migration concerns.
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