4
 Pending Cases

First instance

  • At the end of March 2026, there were around 802,000 first instance pending cases in the EU+, down from around 823,000 at the end of February and the lowest number since September 2023.
  • This was a decrease of around 21,000 cases from the previous month, or by about 3%.  
  • Around 569,000 cases (71%) had been pending for more than 6 months, compared with around 230,000 (29%) pending for less than 6 months.  
  • First instance pending cases remain high by historical standards, although below the previous peak of around 1.02 million recorded in September 2016.  
  • The current level is also below the more recent high point of around 999,000 recorded in October 2024, after which the first instance pending caseload gradually declined.

While an asylum application is awaiting a first instance decision, it remains part of the caseload of applications under examination by the asylum authorities. First instance pending cases therefore refer to applications for international protection that have been lodged but for which the responsible national authority has not yet issued a first instance decision. This indicator should be distinguished from applications lodged during the month, because it reflects the stock of unresolved cases rather than new inflows.

At the end of March 2026, the number of first instance pending cases in the EU+ stood at around 802,000. This was down by around 21,000 compared with the end of February 2026, when there were around 823,000 pending cases. Of the total, around 230,000 had been pending for less than 6 months, while around 569,000 had been pending for more than 6 months. Thus, around 71% of all first instance pending cases had been awaiting a decision for more than 6 months. This remains notable because 6 months is the maximum duration of the examination procedure, stipulated in Regulation (EU) 2024/1348. Compared with recent months, the balance between shorter- and longer-pending cases changed only slightly, but the caseload continued to be dominated by cases pending for more than 6 months.

Although the overall caseload has continued to fall in recent months, it remains high by historical standards. The current level is below the recent high point of around 999,000 first instance pending cases recorded in October 2024, and also below the previous peak of around 1.02 million recorded in September 2016 during the refugee crisis. At the same time, the current caseload is more heavily weighted towards longer-pending cases than was the case at that earlier peak, underlining the persistence of unresolved cases in the system.

Overall, the figures indicate that EU+ asylum authorities continue to face a substantial workload, even though the total first instance pending caseload has been gradually declining.

All instances

Under the Early warning and Preparedness System (EPS), EU+ asylum authorities regularly report to the EUAA the number of cases that they have pending at first instance — that is, applications still awaiting an initial decision by the responsible asylum authority. However, this indicator does not reflect the full scope of the caseload being processed across the EU+ because there are also many cases pending in appeal and in review.

Cases pending in appeal refer to those where the first instance decision has been challenged, often before a judicial authority. Cases pending in review refer to cases where the asylum authority has been requested to re-examine its original decision, for example due to procedural concerns or new information.

To get a more comprehensive picture of the total number of all pending cases, EUAA combines EPS data on first instance pending cases with an estimate of cases pending in appeal and review, using Eurostat data. According to the latest available estimate, at the end of February 2026, there were approximately 1.2 million cases pending at all instances in the EU+. This included around 823,000 first instance pending cases and an estimated 385,000 cases pending in appeal or review.

Appeal and review cases therefore accounted for an estimated 32% of the total pending caseload at the end of February 2026, while first instance cases accounted for around 68%. This shows that first instance pending cases represent the largest part of the EU+ asylum caseload, but not the full workload associated with asylum procedures.

It should be noted that the latest all-instances estimate refers to February 2026, whereas the main EPS indicators in this analysis refer to March 2026. At the end of March 2026, first instance pending cases had declined further to around 802,000, but the corresponding estimate for appeal and review cases was not yet available.