Decline in First-Time Asylum Request Submissions - Asylum applications initially saw a notable drop in submissions
In a recent statement, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced a significant decrease in the number of asylum applications in Germany compared to last year.
Between January and July 2025, first-time asylum applications fell by about half compared to the same period in 2024, dropping from roughly 140,800 to around 70,000.
Minister Dobrindt attributed this trend to tougher government policies, including strengthened border controls, faster asylum procedures, and strict measures against human smuggling.
The minister highlighted continued systematic border checks that are proving effective and will remain in place until at least mid-September 2025. He also emphasized the need for speeding up asylum procedures and making quicker decisions at the EU external borders.
Moreover, Dobrindt underlined a tougher crackdown on smuggling networks to ensure that legal migration is controlled by the state, not criminal gangs. He also expressed support for stricter deportation policies, including resuming deportations to countries like Afghanistan and Syria as part of a broader EU effort.
This decline coincides with a political shift in Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz, where the government is taking a leadership role in Europe to implement more restrictive immigration policies aiming to reduce asylum influx and increase returns of rejected applicants.
However, recent rulings by the European Court of Justice have challenged some restrictive policies, such as designating "safe countries of origin," which may impact how fast-track rejections are handled in the future.
In July 2025, 8,293 initial applications for asylum in Germany were filed, according to a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior. This represents an increase of about one-fifth from month to month, following June's 6,860 initial applications.
It is important to note that Dobrindt ordered reinforced controls and rejections at all nine German land borders with neighboring countries after the start of the black-red federal government in early May, but the Federal Police's rejections at German land borders in July are not discussed in this article.
References: 1. German Minister Announces Tougher Immigration Policies 2. Germany Strengthens Border Controls 3. Asylum Applications in Germany Drop by Half 4. EU Court Challenges Some Restrictive Immigration Policies 5. Chancellor Merz Leads Shift in Germany's Immigration Policy
- ThedeclineinasylumapplicationsinGermany,asrevealedby the Minister of Interior, Alexander Dobrindt, is attributed to tougher government policies, which also include stricter regulations on employment, as a means of maintaining control over legal migration.
- As part of the new immigration policies led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, policy-and-legislation is being advocated to enhance employment procedures, with an aim to quickly determine the status of asylum seekers, and ultimately control the employment market to prevent exploitation by criminal gangs.
