Asylum Requests in Germany Decrease by 34% in 2024

February 5, 2025 TruthUSA

Berlin has taken a tougher stance on immigration due to a rise in arrivals and stabbings carried out by asylum-seekers.

The German interior ministry reported a 34 percent decrease in asylum applications last year.

As concerns over migration grow in Germany, particularly with the upcoming elections in February, there has been a significant policy shift following violent incidents involving immigrants.

In September, Berlin announced plans to implement stricter controls for six months at all land borders with other EU countries, which are part of the Schengen free-movement zone.

On Feb. 4, German authorities announced a 34 percent decrease in asylum applications in 2024 compared to the previous year.

In January 2025, there was a 37 percent drop in applications compared to January 2024.

The Federal police recorded almost one-third fewer illegal arrivals in 2024, with 13,786 people turned back or deported in connection with illegal border crossings.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated on the social media platform X that the decrease in asylum numbers shows that the measures taken are effective.

According to EU statistics, in 2023, Germany received the highest number of asylum seekers from Syria, Turkey, and Afghanistan, with significant percentages for each country.

The asylum figures for Germany exclude Ukrainians due to the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive implemented in 2022.

Last year, Germany adopted a stricter immigration policy due to increased arrivals over the past decade.

In 2015, former Chancellor Angela Merkel allowed over a million Syrian refugees into Germany.

Recent fatal knife attacks in Germany involving asylum-seekers have raised alarm about immigration policies.

A deadly stabbing by a Syrian asylum-seeker in Solingen last August resulted in three deaths.

The attacker claimed allegiance to ISIS, and the terrorist group took responsibility for the incident.

In January, a toddler and a man were killed in a knife attack in Germany, with the suspect being a 28-year-old man from Afghanistan, as reported by local police said.

Merz Calls for Stricter Controls

Recently, Friedrich Merz, the leader of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and a potential candidate for chancellor, spearheaded a non-binding motion with the support of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) in parliament to tighten border controls further, breaking a cooperation taboo with the party.

However, parliament rejected a draft bill proposed by Merz that called for restrictions on family reunification and increased expulsions at the borders.

Merz argued that the bill was necessary in response to a series of high-profile stabbings by foreign nationals in public spaces.

But the Social Democrats (SPD) and Greens opposed the proposals, citing concerns that they would not have prevented the attacks and would violate EU laws.

Research by the polling company Forsa released on Jan. 28 showed a 2 percent drop in support for CDU, bringing it to 28 percent just before the federal elections on Feb. 23.

AfD is currently running second in the polls.

On Sept. 1, 2024, AfD emerged as the dominant political force in recent state elections in eastern Germany, securing a substantial percentage of the vote in Thuringia and Saxony.

AfD leaders advocate for strict border controls, reduced asylum seekers, and the preservation of traditional German culture, asserting that “Islam does not belong to Germany.”

In their 2025 Manifesto, AfD stated that they will regain control over immigration and end cash benefits for asylum seekers.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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