German asylum applications up but long-term decline continues

More people filed first-time asylum applications in Germany in September than in the previous month, but the longer-term downward trend continued, according to the Interior Ministry, reported dpa.

The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) received 5,276 first-time asylum applications last month, a ministry spokeswoman told dpa. That was 40% fewer than in September last year and 70% fewer than in September 2024.

"The sharp decline in asylum figures shows that our measures at national and European level are working," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

He said the European Union was continuing efforts to reform its asylum system, including through a crisis-response mechanism aimed at protecting the EU's external borders from large-scale arrivals, a rapid-response force from EU border agency Frontex and fast-track procedures at the borders.

After around 5,550 first-time asylum applications in May, the number fell further, with fewer than 4,000 applications recorded in both July and August.

A rise in follow-up applications in recent months by people who have already been living in Germany is linked to an October 2024 ruling by the European Court of Justice on Afghanistan. The court found that women from Afghanistan, which has again been ruled by the Islamist Taliban since 2021, are generally entitled to protection.