Plummeting Asylum Applications in Germany Hits Four-Year Low in May
Asylum applications decreased to a four-year low in May.
Germany experiences a significant drop in asylum applications, reaching a four-year low in May with 7,916 initial applications — a startling 13.1% decrease compared to April, as announced by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf)! And guess what? Follow-up applications also took a leap, rising to 2,000 in May. That's a staggering 9.8% increase compared to April!
If we take a glance at the year so far, a total of 62,897 first and follow-up applications have been submitted, significantly less than the 112,609 applications in the first five months of the previous year and the whopping 250,945 applications throughout the year prior.
May 2022 is showing a clear contrast to the numbers from the previous year when a grand total of 18,755 applications were submitted. It's essential to note that May 2022 accounts for the lowest number of first and follow-up applications since May 2021.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) grins ear-to-ear, stating, "Migration policy is working! The results are in, and new applications are on the decline. We must continue down this path and beat back illegal migration."
Breaking down the numbers by country, we find that the majority of asylum seekers in May hailed from Afghanistan, with 1,814. Syria and Turkey followed closely behind, with 1,512 and 899 applicants, respectively. Rounding out the top five are Somalia, Iraq, Eritrea, and Russia with 261, 251, 203, and 199 applicants, respectively.
The mystery behind the decreasing numbers in May demands a closer look. Although specific data for May 2022 remains unknown, we can examine broader trends and factors that contribute to the overall asylum application landscape:
- Global Migration Trends and Policies: Changes in global migration patterns and political policies significantly impact application numbers. Differences in border controls, conflict zones, and migration routes can all influence the decline.
- European Union Asylum Policies: The EU has implemented various policies, such as the Dublin Regulation, which can impact where applications are lodged by assigning responsibility to the first country of entry.
- National Factors: In Germany, historical trends, internal policies, and capacity to process applications have influenced the number of asylum applications.
- Economic and Social Factors: Economic conditions and social stability in potential asylum countries can sway the decision of asylum seekers on their destinations.
community policies in the European Union, such as the Dublin Regulation, play a significant role in determining where asylum applications are lodged, influencing the decrease in applications in Germany. The decline in applications could also be due to changes in global migration trends, political policies, and economic conditions in potential asylum countries, as well as internal policies and capacity to process applications in Germany.
