The number of first-time asylum applications lodged in EU countries fell to 46,420 in February 2026, down 21% from a year earlier and 9% from January.
The figures cover non-EU citizens applying for international protection, meaning people seeking asylum, Eurostat said in a release on Monday.
There were 9,080 subsequent applicants — people making another application after a previous one — up 12% compared with February 2025 but 4% lower than in January 2026.
Venezuelans were the largest group of first-time applicants in February, with 6,835 applications, followed by Afghans (4,325), Bangladeshis (3,450) and Egyptians (1,815).
Italy recorded 10,560 first-time applicants, Spain 10,410, France 7,900 and Germany 6,985, a combined 77% of the EU total.
Greece had the highest rate relative to population
Across the EU, there were 10.3 first-time applicants per 100,000 people in February 2026, based on population figures as of 1 January 2025, Eurostat said.
The highest rates were recorded in Greece (34.3 per 100,000), ahead of Spain (21.2) and Ireland (18.4).
At the end of February, 1.20 million asylum applications were awaiting decisions across the EU, up 1% from the previous month but down 4% from a year earlier.
Germany had 291,245 pending applications, followed by Spain (251,140) and Italy (237,485), although Italy’s figure was flagged as “low reliability” in the latest update.
In February, 1,015 unaccompanied minors applied for asylum for the first time in the EU, with the largest numbers coming from Somalia (215) and Venezuela (165).
