Official data released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees reveals a significant disparity between requests and actual transfers concerning the Dublin Regulation in Germany during the first half of 2025.
According to figures published, Germany submitted 3,824 requests to Italy for the transfer of asylum seekers under the Dublin process. While Italy approved 4,477 requests – encompassing both recent and prior-year submissions – no individuals were physically transferred from Germany to Italy.
Similar discrepancies were observed with Greece. Germany initiated 3,554 requests for the return of asylum seekers to Greece, securing approvals for only 78 cases, resulting in the transfer of just 20 individuals.
Overall, Germany lodged 20,574 transfer requests to other nations during the first six months of 2025, aiming to return individuals who initially arrived in Germany. However, the actual number of refugees and asylum seekers returned to other countries amounted to 3,109. Conversely, other EU member states made 7,937 requests for Germany to accept individuals back, with 2,326 of those requests fulfilled.
The data highlights a considerable gap between formal agreements and the practical implementation of the Dublin Regulation in Germany.
