In March 2026, the EU+ received 59,000 applications for international protection, one of the lowest levels since the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Following the ousting of the Assad regime in December 2024, far fewer Syrians have been applying for asylum. Syrians lodged around 1,900 applications in March 2026.
Venezuelans lodged the most applications in March 2026 (7,000). These applicants can travel visa-free to the Schengen area. Close to 95% of all Venezuelan applications were lodged in Spain.
In March 2026, Afghans submitted about 6,900 applications, mostly in Germany. Recently many were repeated applications from Afghan women already in the EU+, after legal clarification that restrictions under Taliban rule could qualify them for protection.
In March 2026, Iranian nationals lodged just 800 applications, ranking 22nd among all citizenships. This was slightly higher than in February, but still does not indicate a significant increase.
