According to migration expert and director of the Center at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) Victoria Rietig, the decrease in the number of asylum applications “is more a consequence of the changed political situation in Syria and bilateral agreements than domestic measures.”
According to data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), in the first ten months of 2025, 142,495 people applied for asylum in Germany, of which 97,277 applied for the first time. That is almost half less than in the same period last year.
Although Merz’s government promised a “tougher approach” and increased border controls when it took office in May, a drop in the number of new requests has already been recorded – as much as 43 percent less in the first four months of 2025. According to the data, the trend continued without significant changes after the formation of the new government.
Rietig notes that the number of repeat applications, however, has more than doubled, especially among Afghan women who fear losing their status and being deported.
“Prime Minister Merz promised more negative responses to asylum applicants, especially those with criminal records. However, increased border controls did not produce visible results – the number of people who entered the country irregularly remained almost the same,” Rietig pointed out.
She concluded that, despite the rising cost of border protection, the effect of the new measures is modest: “Measured by numbers, the promised turnaround of the migration policy has so far not shown effectiveness.”
According to her, bilateral agreements on repatriation, such as the recent agreement between the European Union and Tunisia, which concretely contributed to the reduction of migratory pressure on Germany, proved to be far more successful.
(Vijesti.ba)
