Dethroned! Germany's Decline as Europe's Asylum Leader
- Europe no longer sees Germany as the primary destination for asylum seekers.
Hey there, folks! The European asylum scene just got a shake-up as Germany has been dethroned as the top destination for asylum applications in Old Continent.
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Taking the crown for February's race are none other than France and Spain, with a whopping 13,080 and 12,975 applications, respectively. Our German pals came in a close third with 12,775 applications[1]. But fear not, friends! Looking at the grand total for 2024, Germany still held the top spot with 250,615 applications, leaving Spain and Italy in the dust with 166,175 and 158,605 applications, respectively[1].
But alas, it's not all sunshine and beer steins for Germany in March. The number of asylum applications continued to slide, hitting a three-year low of 10,647 - with 8,983 being first-time applications[1]. This drop is a full 19.7% compared to February and a large 45.3% compared to March 2024[1]. Yikes!
Beating the European Border Blues
In an international comparison for March, stats aren't yet available, but do keep an eye out! The decline in asylum applications is due in part to a massive decrease in applications from key countries like Syria, Afghanistan, and Turkey[1].
- Tumbling Syrian Numbers: Applications from Syria have halved, plummeting from 19,687 last year to a mere 9,861 in the first quarter of 2025[1].
- ** Turkish Drop-Off**: The number of applications from Turkey plummeted by no less than 61.2%, landing at a mere 3,755 first-time applications[1].
- ** Afghan Dip**: Even Afghanistan saw a staggering 42.5% drop in applications, leaving 5,616 aspiring asylum seekers[1].
Irregular Migrations on Hold
Germany’s Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser (SPD), is feeling pretty pleased as irregular migration to Europe has significantly decreased "through a strong package of measures, through German action and close European cooperation"[1]. The next step? Implementing the new European asylum system (GEAS) to protect EU’s external borders and ensure a fair distribution of refugees[1].
But is it really as straightforward as that? Bamf President Hans-Eckhard Sommer hinted otherwise, stating that the recent decrease in numbers is more due to measures taken by Serbia at the border with Hungary[1]. Sommer also expressed concern about sticking to the individual right to asylum and hoping for positive effects from the GEAS reform, suggesting more humanitarian admissions could be a better approach[1].
Protection Ratios: Not so Clear
Only 18.5% of applicants actually secured a protection status, down drastically from the 44.4% achieved in 2024[1]. The current rate isn't considered meaningful due to the unclear political situation in Syria, resulting in a decision pause for all asylum procedures for Syrians for the time being[1]. Grazie, Syria!
The controversial Dublin procedure for distributing asylum seekers within Europe continues to be problematic from Germany's perspective. From January to March, Germany made 13,223 requests for EU countries to take back asylum seekers who had first applied there[1]. In a pleasant surprise, 8,929 of those requests were granted[1]. However, only 1,715 people were actually returned[1]. Oops!
Well, there you have it, folks! Germany's reign as the European asylum leader has finally come to an end, replaced by France and Spain for now. Let's keep an eye on what the future of migration to Europe looks like!
- Germany
- Europe
- Asylum
- Asylum application
- France
- Spain
- Strong package of measures
- EU
- Irregular migration
- Syria
- European asylum system
- Afghanistan
- Humanitarian admissions
- Turkey
- Dublin procedure
[1] Source: Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) in Nuremberg[2] Additional Insight: Policy changes under new leadership in Germany may also influence potential asylum seekers by signaling a tougher stance on immigration.[3] Additional Insight: Enhanced security measures across Europe likely discouraged or redirected asylum seekers to other countries.[4] Additional Insight: The declining numbers could also be attributed to changes in migration patterns or economic conditions in the countries of origin.
- The employment policy of EC countries, especially Germany's, could face significant changes due to the decline in asylum applications, which may affect the workforce diversity and labor market dynamics.
- With France and Spain taking the lead in asylum applications, their employment policies might need to be prepared to accommodate an increase in the refugee workforce, potentially leading to shifts in employment rates across EC countries.
- The agreed reduction in the asylum application rate across EC countries, as seen with Germany's decline, could have implications for employment policies, potentially impacting job growth, skills demand, and labor market integration opportunities for refugees.
