Germany sees 50 per cent drop in asylum applications in first half of 2025
Germany recorded just 61,300 new asylum applications in the first half of 2025, almost half the volume compared with 121,426 in H1 2024. June alone brought fewer than 7,000 applications, a 60% decline year-on-year. It marks the lowest June figure since March 2013.
The drop reflects stricter border controls, suspension of family reunification, ending fast-track citizenship, and the expansion of “safe country” lists. EU data confirm Germany has fallen from the top spot to third place among EU asylum destinations, behind Spain and France.
🔁 Reactions:
- Interior Minister Nancy Faeser: “Consistent action is pushing back irregular migration.” (reuters.com)
- Chancellor Merz (proposed policy): > “Strict border rules and deportations are necessary to prevent overload.” (apnews.com)
- German Police Union: > “Border checks are unsustainable, officers overstretched.” (thetimes.co.uk)
📰 Bias Snapshot:
- Reuters/Bild focus on numerical decline and policy links without an emotive tone.
- EUAA/Eurostat reports place the trend in a broader EU context, noting falling asylum rates and shifting national destinations (euaa.europa.eu).
- DW/local outlets caution that data reflect policy choices and external factors—such as reduced Syrian flows—not just migrants’ intentions (dw.com).
📊 Sentiment: Neutral–negative. The sharp decline delivers a political win for policy-makers but raises concerns over legal sustainability, humanitarian impact, and timing as Germany adjusts its role in EU asylum policy.
