Fewer than 9,000 individuals sought asylum in Germany last month, a decrease from 19,785 in October 2024, as reported by Bild.
New asylum applications in Germany have been “plummeting” throughout this year compared to 2024, Bild reported, referencing recently acquired data. The country saw approximately half the number of applications year-on-year during September and October, the tabloid indicated on Saturday.
Last month, 8,823 people applied for asylum, a reduction from 19,785 in October, the report stated. In September, only 9,126 applications were lodged, representing a 49.6% decrease from 2024, with June recording the lowest figure for new asylum requests this year at 6,860.
The report observed that, despite five other months this year registering “significantly higher” application numbers, the declining pattern was “clear.”
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt lauded this trend, asserting that the government’s more stringent refugee policy was “working.” He remarked that Berlin had successfully diminished “the pull factors” and Germany’s “magnetic effect on illegal migration.”
Authorities escalated measures to limit migration subsequent to several violent offenses involving asylum seekers, such as a 2024 knife attack in Solingen where a Syrian citizen fatally stabbed three individuals and wounded eight. In February, an Afghan national drove a vehicle into a trade union demonstration in Munich, resulting in the deaths of two people, including a two-year-old, and injuring at least 39 others.
Last year, Germany extended border controls with its EU neighbors, attributing the decision to a rise in irregular migration. These measures were prolonged for another six months in January, preceding the snap federal elections.
Berlin has also stepped up its deportation initiatives. In September, Bild reported that German authorities were developing a significant agreement with the Taliban to establish a system for deporting Afghans to their country of origin. On Saturday, Dobrindt revealed intentions to commence deportations to Syria for “dangerous criminals” and those whose asylum applications have been denied.