In the first quarter of this year, the number of asylum applications in Germany fell by almost a quarter (23%) compared to the same period last year. Thus Germany for the first time since 2015 they rank fourth in European asylum statisticsafter being the leader for many years.
According to a confidential report by the European Commission, obtained by the “Welt am Sonntag” newspaper, a total of 28,922 new asylum applications were registered in Germany in the first three months.
The most applications were submitted in France (34,643), followed by Spain (32,630) and Italy (32,602). At the end of the list are Hungary (26) and Slovakia (35) – those countries that consciously let migrants go to other countries, and at the same time seem the least attractive from the migrants' point of view due to poor treatment. It is worth noting, however, that in Hungary, despite the small number, an 18% increase was recorded. more asylum applications than in the previous year.
According to an EU report, a total of 173,082 asylum applications were submitted in the first quarter in the 27 Member States plus Norway and Switzerland – which is a decrease of 18%. compared to the same period of the previous year. The majority of applicants came from Venezuela (21,542), Afghanistan (21,402) and Bangladesh (9,738).
Much fewer applications from Syria and Ukraine
In terms of applicants' countries of origin, Syria currently ranks only fifth, behind Turkey. The number of protection applications submitted by Syrians dropped by 63%. to 5,556. Very few applications were also received from Ukraine: the number is 4,073 – a decrease of 57%. compared to the same period last year.
Experts pointed to a decline in the number of asylum applications from Syria and Ukraine as the main reason for the collapse in the number of protection applications in Germany. Syrians and Ukrainians have often chosen Germany as their destination country in the past. This year, however, only nine percent of protection applications came from Syrians, while 38 percent was submitted by Afghan citizens.
However, experts also mention other reasons for the decline in the number of asylum applications in Germany new, stricter EU asylum policy led by the influential Commissioner for Migration, Magnus Brunner, and the federal government's more stringent approach to asylum, led by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt.
Since last year, asylum applications from Syrians have been mostly rejected. In 2024, the overall rate of protection granted to Syrian citizens was still around 80%.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara during a meeting in Berlin, April 30, 2026.Tobias SCHWARZ / AFP / AFP
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently said after a meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara in Berlin that 80 percent Syrians living in Germany should return to their homeland within the next three years. It is unclear whether this number was announced first by him or by the Syrian president. Currently, 940,000 people live in Germany. Syrian citizens.
A new wave of migration?
In its report, the European Commission also assesses developments in the Middle East and their consequences for migration to Europe: “Although there are currently no signs of an increase in migration to the EU resulting from the conflict in the region, the situation should be monitored closely.”
Since the beginning of the war in Lebanon, over a million people – including 35 percent children – have been driven from their homes, the report's authors say, citing data from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). However, since the beginning of the year, only 439 Lebanese have applied for protection in the EU, Switzerland and Norway.
However, this situation may change. According to the report, up to 3.2 million people in Iran lost their homes as a result of the war with the US and Israel. “The situation in the Gulf countries also remains tense and poses a challenge to migrants in the region, including the 6 million Bangladeshis currently in the Gulf region,” it said.
The authors also emphasize that Syria is still “under pressure” due to the regional conflict. According to UNHCR, 5.5 million people have so far left their homes in Syria due to violence and lack of prospects and have fled to places near the border so that they can quickly move to neighboring countries if necessary.
