Asylum applications in Germany see a downwards trend last year.
The Federal Ministry of the Interior announced on Sunday (January 10th) that the number of people seeking asylum in Germany had dropped significantly in 2020.
The range of people seeking asylum in Germany dropped by 30% in 2020 in contrast to the previous year amid closed borders and the closure of the coronavirus decreased arrivals. For the first time, more than 76,000 asylum seekers were recorded in the German Interior Ministry, which is 31.5% less than in 2019. A further 26,520 asylum applications were filed in Germany for children born to non-citizens under the age of one, the ministry said. This brings the total range of applications to 102,581.
Most applications have been received from citizens of the following countries.
- Syria
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Turkey
COVID-19 and asylum applications in Germany
Home Secretary Horst Seehofer stated the shortage of asylum seekers could be partly attributed to the COVID-19 epidemic, which led to a sharp decline in global travel and closed some countries to their borders, especially the weather. He added that the number of asylum seekers in Germany has been steadily declining over the past 4 years, noting that “it seems that our measures to prevent migration are working. The European Union’s border and coast protect the agency, Frontex, has also set the lowest range of uncontrolled migrant crossings since 2013 to prevent the spread of large-scale coronaviruses.
Pro Asyl (organizations for the rights of asylum seekers in Germany) stated in a tweet, “There are still a lot of refugees, people keep fleeing to Europe. But they are at our doorsteps in the snow or in the camps in the border countries,”. Referring to the 8,500 asylum seekers in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 800 of them live outside under harsh winter conditions including children. They also alleged that the current downfall in asylum number sis due to the tough and hard border laws.
How many decisions were made on asylum applications in Germany?
In 2020, Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) decided on 145,071 asylum applications, 40,000 fewer than in 2019.
| types of applicants | Percentage |
| recognized as refugees under the Geneva Refugee Convention | 26% (37,818) |
| received subsidiary protection | 13% |
| Ban on deportation | 4% |
| the overall protection rate | 43% |
| asylum applications were rejected | 32% |
| cases were dismissed otherwise (for example they withdraw their application or they are in the case of Dublin and were first sent back to the EU u . s . where they can continue their application Came) | 24.80% |
The BAMF added that about 52,000 asylum applications had not been decided at the end of December. Of the 76,000 asylum applications submitted in 2020, Germany received only 7% of the more than 1.1 million applications received during Europe’s immigration crisis in 2015 and 2016. The newcomers deeply polarized the country and gave rise to the far-right Alternative for Germany (AFD) party, which opposes immigration and Islam.
The German authorities have responded via tightening its immigration policies and expediting the deportation of refugees or asylum seekers convicted of violent crimes. However, the decision to lift a general ban on deportation in war-torn Syria on December 31 has been sharply criticized by rights groups, although the authorities say it will solely deport those who pose a security threat.