EU Border Crossings Drop 17% as Member States Tighten Asylum Policies

EU asylum applications fell 17% in H1 2026 to 332,000, the lowest in years, even as a surge at Ceuta in late July highlighted ongoing border pressure. The decline reflects stricter national policies and external border controls, but the contrast between aggregate figures and localized spikes complicates the EU's migration narrative ahead of von der Leyen's State of the Union address.