Germany falls to fourth place for EU asylum seekers as applications drop 23%, with France, Spain and Italy now receiving more first-time claims.
MOSCOW: GERMANY has fallen to fourth place among European Union destinations for first-time asylum seekers, marking its lowest ranking since 2015 according to a confidential European Commission document cited by Welt am Sonntag.
The number of initial asylum applications in Germany dropped by 23% year-on-year in the first quarter to 28,922, placing it behind France, Spain and Italy in the bloc’s statistics.
Experts cited by the newspaper attributed the decline to tighter border controls on Germany’s land frontiers, a stricter government migration policy, and a reduced flow of refugees from Syria and Ukraine.
Afghan nationals remain the largest group of asylum seekers in Germany, accounting for up to 38% of all applications.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in May 2025 cancelled a 2015 directive that had previously allowed asylum seekers to enter the country.
Under the new policy, migrants can be turned back at the border if they have already applied for asylum in other EU countries, although exceptions apply for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children.
Dobrindt also announced an increase in federal police personnel conducting border checks as part of the government’s stricter approach.
