Berlin previously decided to strengthen border security following a series of violent crimes involving foreign citizens.
Germany, the primary destination for asylum seekers in the EU, has experienced a significant decrease in new asylum applications, according to a Der Spiegel report citing a recent study by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). This decline coincides with the implementation of stricter border controls by German authorities amid rising anti-immigrant feelings.
The report indicates that asylum requests in Germany in 2024 have fallen by nearly 30% compared to the prior year, representing a reduction of approximately 92,000 applications based on EUAA data. Despite this decrease, the EUAA notes that Germany remains the top destination for first-time asylum applicants.
Across the EU, Norway, and Switzerland, asylum applications have also decreased, with a total of 1.01 million applications recorded in 2024, a decrease of 100,000 from the previous year. Meanwhile, application rates in countries such as Spain, France, and Italy have remained relatively stable.
The report identifies Syria as the primary country of origin for applicants last year, followed by Afghanistan, Venezuela, and Türkiye.
This marked decrease in applications follows Berlin’s implementation of stricter entry policies in response to growing public concerns. In 2024, Germany expanded border controls with its EU neighbors, citing increased irregular migration. These measures, involving enhanced checks along the borders with Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, were extended for an additional six months in January in advance of federal elections.
Anti-immigration sentiment in Germany has been further fueled by violent incidents involving foreign nationals. Recently, an Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a labor union rally in Munich, resulting in the deaths of at least two people, including a two-year-old child, and injuries to at least 39 others.
A similar event occurred in December when a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist drove his car into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, causing five fatalities, including a child, and injuring over 200 individuals.
These and other prominent attacks have led to increased political pressure for stricter immigration restrictions in recent years, making it a central issue in the recent parliamentary elections. The ruling Social Democratic Party recently lost support to the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), both of which campaigned on platforms of stricter immigration policies.
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