Cyprus records 210 first-time protection applications in September

Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus received 210 first-time applications for international protection in September, compared with 135 in August and 145 in July, Eurostat reported in figures released on Friday. Applications from third-country nationals rose almost 56 per cent from August and approximately 45 per cent from July.

EU applications decline in July

Eurostat recorded 34,145 first-time asylum applications across the EU for July 2026. That represented a 39 per cent decline from the 55,680 recorded in July 2025 and an 8 per cent fall from June 2026, when the total reached 37,075.

The figures identified Afghans as the largest nationality group among first-time applicants in July, submitting 3,100 applications. Sudanese nationals followed with 2,605, ahead of Bangladeshis with 2,255 and Syrians with 1,420.

France registers the largest total

France led EU member states with 9,000 first-time applications, according to Eurostat. Italy registered 5,140, followed by Greece at 3,715, Spain at 3,590 and Germany at 3,075.

Those five countries together represented approximately 72 per cent of the EU’s July total.

Eurostat put the EU average at 7.6 first-time applicants for every 100,000 residents. Slovenia had the highest rate, with 114.7 applicants per 100,000 residents, calculated using population figures dated January 1, 2026.