Bangladeshi Asylum Applications in Europe Rise 13% in H1 2026, Ranking Third
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১০-৯-২০২৬ বিকাল ৫:২৫
Bangladeshi Asylum Applications in Europe Rise 13% in H1 2026, Ranking Third
Applications for international protection in European Union member states and associated countries dropped to a five-year low in the first half of 2026, driven by tighter migration controls and geopolitical shifts. However, defying the broader downward trend, Bangladesh recorded a 13 percent increase in asylum requests, maintaining its position among the top origin countries.
According to a report published by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on Thursday, EU+ nations (comprising EU member states, Switzerland, and Norway) received approximately 332,000 asylum applications between January and June 2026. This represents a 17 percent decline compared to the same period in 2025 and marks the lowest H1 total recorded since 2021.
The agency attributed the overall drop primarily to political transitions in Syria, which significantly reduced applicant numbers, as well as joint diplomatic agreements between the EU and key transit nations such as Tunisia and Mauritania to curb irregular migration in exchange for economic aid.
Despite the overall reduction, Afghan nationals accounted for the highest number of asylum applicants at 39,000, followed by applicants from Venezuela and Bangladesh.
The report highlighted that Bangladeshi asylum claims rose to 19,521 in the first six months of 2026, up 13 percent from 17,327 recorded during the same period last year.
Under new rules that took effect in June 2026, applications from countries with average first-instance recognition rates below 20 percent—or those designated as safe countries of origin—are subject to accelerated border examination and rapid return procedures upon rejection. Roughly 56 percent of H1 2026 applications fell under these criteria, including large applicant pools from Bangladesh (20,000 overall), Venezuela (33,000), Egypt (12,000), and Turkey (12,000). Except for Turkish nationals (18 percent), first-instance approval rates for these groups remained under 5 percent.
Among destination countries, France received the highest number of applications at 69,000, followed by Italy (66,000), Spain (55,000), and Germany (55,000). Together, the four nations accounted for nearly three-quarters of all EU+ asylum filings.
By the end of June 2026, pending first-instance cases across the EU+ stood at approximately 770,000, down 8 percent year-on-year. However, when combining administrative and judicial stages, total pending cases reached nearly 1.18 million. Bangladesh holds one of the largest unresolved caseloads at the first instance, with approximately 36,000 applications awaiting decisions.
Best News Desk
১০-৯-২০২৬ বিকাল ৫:২৫
Applications for international protection in European Union member states and associated countries dropped to a five-year low in the first half of 2026, driven by tighter migration controls and geopolitical shifts. However, defying the broader downward trend, Bangladesh recorded a 13 percent increase in asylum requests, maintaining its position among the top origin countries.
According to a report published by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) on Thursday, EU+ nations (comprising EU member states, Switzerland, and Norway) received approximately 332,000 asylum applications between January and June 2026. This represents a 17 percent decline compared to the same period in 2025 and marks the lowest H1 total recorded since 2021.
The agency attributed the overall drop primarily to political transitions in Syria, which significantly reduced applicant numbers, as well as joint diplomatic agreements between the EU and key transit nations such as Tunisia and Mauritania to curb irregular migration in exchange for economic aid.
Despite the overall reduction, Afghan nationals accounted for the highest number of asylum applicants at 39,000, followed by applicants from Venezuela and Bangladesh.
The report highlighted that Bangladeshi asylum claims rose to 19,521 in the first six months of 2026, up 13 percent from 17,327 recorded during the same period last year.
Under new rules that took effect in June 2026, applications from countries with average first-instance recognition rates below 20 percent—or those designated as safe countries of origin—are subject to accelerated border examination and rapid return procedures upon rejection. Roughly 56 percent of H1 2026 applications fell under these criteria, including large applicant pools from Bangladesh (20,000 overall), Venezuela (33,000), Egypt (12,000), and Turkey (12,000). Except for Turkish nationals (18 percent), first-instance approval rates for these groups remained under 5 percent.
Among destination countries, France received the highest number of applications at 69,000, followed by Italy (66,000), Spain (55,000), and Germany (55,000). Together, the four nations accounted for nearly three-quarters of all EU+ asylum filings.
By the end of June 2026, pending first-instance cases across the EU+ stood at approximately 770,000, down 8 percent year-on-year. However, when combining administrative and judicial stages, total pending cases reached nearly 1.18 million. Bangladesh holds one of the largest unresolved caseloads at the first instance, with approximately 36,000 applications awaiting decisions.
