Official figures show that Germany received 7,803 asylum applications in August 2025, down from 18,427 in the same month last year – a drop of 10,624, or nearly 60%.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told the Bild newspaper that “our asylum policy is working. The stricter border controls we introduced are proving effective.” He highlighted measures implemented by the new government after taking office in May.
“The next step is to strengthen the common European asylum system to further reduce migration pressure on Europe,” the minister added.
Germany has long been the main destination for asylum seekers in Europe, but data from the first half of 2025 shows a shift in migration patterns. Spain emerged as the leading destination with around 76,000 applications, followed by France with 75,000 and Italy with 63,000. During the same period, Germany recorded 61,000 applications.
While the government attributes the decline to tighter border measures, critics point to multiple factors influencing migration trends, including changing conditions in conflict zones and a natural reduction in migrants from countries such as Ukraine and Syria.
During their February election campaign, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative Christian Democrats promised strict measures to curb irregular migration. After forming a coalition government in May, they implemented tighter border controls with neighbouring countries. Under the new rules, police turn back individuals without proper travel documents, as well as asylum seekers who have already entered another EU country.
Germany’s border measures have caused tensions with Poland. In response, the Polish government introduced reciprocal temporary border controls, and some Polish politicians have accused Germany of pushing migrants into Poland. Berlin insists the restrictions are temporary and will remain in place only until the EU’s new migration and asylum pact is fully implemented.
Under EU rules, member states may implement temporary border controls in the passport-free Schengen area only in exceptional circumstances, such as serious threats to public order. The European Commission has repeatedly stressed that such measures should be a “last resort” and strictly temporary.
The U.S. rescued an airman missing from one of two warplanes downed in Iran, two U.S. officials said, as President...
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United...
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets....
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest t...
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place i...
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
India has purchased crude oil from Iran for the first time in seven years, as supply disruptions in the Middle East threaten global energy markets.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after two American warplanes were downed over Iran and the Gulf, as the search continues for a missing pilot, while President Donald Trump has given Tehran 48 hours to agree to a deal to end the war.
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote next week on a Bahraini resolution to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and protect commercial shipping, diplomats said on Friday, amid opposition from China to any authorisation of force.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
The global commodities market is facing a severe structural supply shock after a series of coordinated military strikes in the Middle East devastated critical industrial infrastructure, threatening the manufacturing base of Western economies.
More than 1.1 million people have been forced from their homes in Lebanon, according to the United Nations, as the UN spokesman says the humanitarian situation is worsening. Israel recently announced it intends to annex part of Southern Lebanon.
The family of the late Virginia Giuffre have urged King Charles III to meet survivors of sexual abuse during his upcoming state visit to the United States.
British police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on ambulances belonging to a Jewish community charity. The arrest took place at a London court on Saturday, where three other suspects were already appearing.
Senegal has taken steps to curb government spending by banning non-essential foreign travel for ministers, as rising global oil prices place increasing pressure on the country’s finances.
Five people have been killed and 19 others injured in a Russian drone strike on a market in the front-line Ukrainian city of Nikopol, Ukrainian officials say.
A major gathering of Muslims in northern Paris will go ahead as planned after a French court overturned a government attempt to ban the event.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment