Official data released on Monday reveals a substantial increase in asylum applications in Germany, putting additional pressure on the government to fulfill its commitments to curb irregular migration.
In 2023, Germany recorded 351,915 asylum applications, marking a 51% rise compared to the previous year, as reported by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser emphasized the need for a consistent approach to limit irregular migration, stating, “The asylum figures for 2023 show that we must consistently continue our course to limit irregular migration.”
Germany’s center-left coalition government, facing challenges in opinion polls from right-wing parties, has adopted a more stringent stance on migration. In recent months, Minister Faeser announced temporary police controls at Germany’s borders and actively pursued migration agreements with partner countries to expedite deportations.
Minister Faeser praised a recent agreement to reform the European Union asylum policy, emphasizing that individuals with limited prospects of protection status would undergo application processing at the bloc’s external borders.
In 2023, the majority of asylum applicants in Germany originated from Syria (104,651), followed by Turkey (62,624), Afghanistan (53,582), Iraq (12,360), Iran (10,206), Georgia (9,399), and Russia (9,028), according to BAMF data.
The agency reported that it granted protection status in 52% of the cases for which decisions were issued.
