Number of asylum applications in Germany gone down significantly after tough migration policy

German Border control Police

The number of asylum applications in Germany has fallen by 43 per cent: Border controls and tensions with Poland are at the centre of the debate.

The number of asylum applications in Germany fell by almost half in the first half of 2025. Specifically, a total of 65,495 asylum applications were submitted between 1 January and 30 June, which corresponds to a decrease of 43 per cent compared to the same period last year. This was reported by Welt am Sonntag, citing unpublished figures from the European Union Asylum Agency (EUAA).

Decrease in asylum applications in 2025: Germany no longer the frontrunner

In terms of the number of asylum applications in the first half of the year, Germany loses its lead for the first time in years: Spain (76,020 applications) and France (75,428 applications) overtook Germany. They are followed by Italy (62,534 applications), Greece (27,718 applications) and Belgium (17,285 applications).

The entire EU area, including Norway and Switzerland recorded a decrease of 23 per cent between January and June 2025 compared to the previous year. 388,299 asylum applications reached the European Community.

In the EU, most asylum seekers came from Venezuela (48,413), Afghanistan (41,127) and Syria (23,307). In Germany, they came from Afghanistan (22 per cent), Syria (20 per cent) and Turkey (11 per cent). The fifth largest group in Germany were applicants from Russia (3.1 per cent). The significant decline in numbers was already apparent over the past few months.

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg, Germany)