EU asylum applications fall 17 percent in first half of year

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BRUSSELS — The number of people claiming asylum in EU countries has fallen sharply, new figures show, with some capitals recording historic lows as tough new rules come into effect.

The European Union Agency for Asylum, which oversees operational support for refugees across the bloc, will on Thursday publish data showing 332,000 applications were lodged in EU and Schengen zone countries in the first half of this year — a 17% reduction compared to 2025.

“The numbers speak for themselves: Europe’s new migration policy is delivering results. We need to continue to step up our efforts at Europe’s borders,” EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner said.

The EU earlier this year agreed on wide-ranging new rules allowing countries to establish “return hubs” in third countries like Albania and Rwanda, to which unsuccessful asylum seekers and other failed migrants can be sent to. It has also drawn up lists of safe countries from which would-be refugees are unlikely to be accepted apart from in exceptional cases.

With far-right parties gaining in the polls ahead of key elections in France, Germany, Italy and other EU countries, governments are pushing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to use her State of the Union speech next week to demonstrate mainstream politicians can take effective action to address concerns about migration .

Germany, which is among the countries pushing for more powers to remove failed asylum seekers, saw applications fall by 50% year-on-year. Nonetheless, the anti-immigrant, far-right Alternative for Germany party continues to enjoy electoral success .

Sweden recorded just 8,485 applications last year, the lowest level in 40 years, while Denmark — one of the EU’s staunchest opponents of unregulated migration — had registered a historic low of 1,835 applications by the end of November. Austria saw the fewest applications in 23 years and has returned more failed asylum seekers than the number of new ones arriving.

At the same time, the statistics show, illegal border crossings have fallen by 55% in the past two years, with Brussels having struck agreements with neighboring countries like Turkey and Serbia to reduce irregular migration.