The number of people making first-time asylum applications in the European Union fell sharply in May, with new figures showing a 22% decline compared with the same
month last year.
A total of 42,525 non-EU citizens lodged first-time applications for international protection across the bloc in May 2026, according to the latest monthly data from Eurostat. The figure was also 2% lower than in April, when 43,360 first-time applications were recorded.
The latest figures point to a continued easing in the number of new asylum claims reaching EU countries. However, the distribution of applicants remains heavily concentrated among a small number of nationalities and member states.
There were a further 8,050 applications from people who had previously sought asylum. That figure was broadly unchanged from May 2025, when 8,075 subsequent applications were recorded, but represented a 12% fall from April's 9,150.
Venezuelans remain the largest group
Venezuelan nationals accounted for the largest number of first-time asylum applications in May, with 4,465 claims recorded across the EU.
They were followed by Afghans, with 3,425 applications, Bangladeshis with 2,860 and Sudanese nationals with 1,690.
The figures underline the increasingly diverse pressures facing Europe's asylum systems, with applicants arriving from countries affected by political instability, conflict and economic hardship.
Four countries receive three-quarters of claims
Italy recorded the highest number of first-time asylum applications in May, with 10,660, followed by Spain with 7,945.
France received 7,180 applications, while Germany recorded 5,965.
Together, the four countries accounted for roughly 75% of all first-time asylum applications registered across the EU during the month.
Measured against population size, the EU recorded an average of 9.4 first-time asylum applicants for every 100,000 residents.
Greece had the highest rate, at 34.8 applicants per 100,000 people, followed by Italy at 18.1 and Ireland at 17.8.
The figures show that the overall EU total masks significant differences in the pressure placed on individual national asylum systems.
Nearly 1,000 unaccompanied children seek protection
Eurostat also recorded 945 first-time asylum applications from unaccompanied minors in May.
Somali nationals made up the largest group, with 205 applications, followed by Sudanese children with 110 and Afghans with 95. Egypt accounted for 85 applications and Venezuela for 40.
Germany received the largest number of applications from unaccompanied minors, with 220, followed by the Netherlands with 195 and Greece with 135.
France recorded 80 applications and Spain 75.
The latest figures provide a snapshot of the changing pattern of asylum migration across the EU, as overall application numbers continue to fluctuate while several member states remain under substantially greater pressure than others. Photo by Mstyslav Chernov, Wikimedia commons.