Church Asylum in Saxony-Anhalt: A Steep Decline in 2024
Decreased Number of Church Sanctuaries Granted in Saxony-Anhalt - Fewer Church Asylum Seekers in Saxony-Anhalt: Decline in Those Seeking Sanctuary Within Churches
Heads up! This year, the Evangelical Church in Central Germany (EKM) in Saxony-Anhalt has witnessed a steep fall in requests for church asylum. From 49 cases in 2023 and a whopping 38 in 2022, the number has now dwindled to just 13 as of today. And guess what? Most of these cases have already been settled.
A spokesperson from EKM's Magdeburg branch confirmed this news when questioned. They noted that while the number of inquiries has surged, the number of church asylum cases has plummeted instead.
Now, we need to understand that each church asylum situation is unique. It boils down to people experiencing distress and hardships. As a church, we believe in lending a helping hand when folks are in dire straits. Current immigration laws don't cover all the potential humanitarian situations, particularly in family matters, the spokesperson explained.
Moreover, there are still countries where refugees simply don't wish to return, as they'd face more hardships there than what they've already endured. The local church considers all these factors when making its decisions.
But why the sudden drop? Well, it seems to be a combination of reasons connected to the broader asylum landscape in Germany in 2024.
- Increased Deportations: You won't believe it, but in 2024, Saxony-Anhalt saw a record-breaking 654 deportations, which is 22% more than the previous year. This increase in deportations could be one reason for the decline in asylum seekers opting for church asylum.
- Fewer Asylum Applications: Get this—Germany saw a substantial reduction in asylum applications in 2024. The figure dropped from 351,915 in 2023 to just 250,945 in 2024. So, with fewer new asylum applicants, fewer people are looking for church asylum, like those in Saxony-Anhalt.
- Quickened Processing of Asylum Cases: In 2024, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) focused on speeding up the processing of pending asylum cases from previous years. This accelerated tempo results in a decrease in pending cases and appeals, reducing the uncertainty faced by asylum seekers, which sometimes encourages them to seek church asylum.
- Security Concerns: While security concerns due to Islamist terror threats persisted in places like North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg in 2024, Saxony-Anhalt remained relatively unaffected. However, these elevated security concerns may have indirectly led to stricter enforcement and fewer opportunities for church asylum.
Vocational training opportunities within EC countries might be attractive alternatives for those who are no longer seeking church asylum in Saxony-Anhalt, given the steady decline in cases due to factors such as increased deportations, reduced asylum applications, and quickened processing of cases. The shift in focus from church asylum to vocational training could potentially be linked to general news about politics and war-and-conflicts, as these factors may affect individual decisions to seek asylum or pursue vocational training in different regions.
