Official data indicates a continued decline in initial asylum applications compared to the previous year. According to figures reported by “Bild am Sonntag” authorities registered a total of 70,011 applications between January and July. This represents a substantial decrease from the 140,783 applications recorded during the same period in 2024, a reduction of over 50 percent.
While July saw a modest increase in applications, reaching 8,293 compared to fewer than 7,000 in June, the figure remains significantly lower than the 18,503 applications registered in July of the previous year, the newspaper reports.
The Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, has announced further measures focused on combating human trafficking. He stated that the reduction in initial asylum requests demonstrates the effectiveness of current policies, which will continue. The focus, according to Dobrindt, includes conducting asylum procedures at the EU’s external borders, facilitating quicker decisions and enforcing consistent deportations. He emphasized a more stringent campaign against human smuggling networks, underscoring the state’s responsibility in regulating entry into the country.
