Overview of the main changes since the previous report update

The report was previously updated in June 2024.

International protection

• Key asylum statistics: In 2024, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) received 229,751 first-time asylum applications and 21,194 subsequent applications. Compared to the previous year, first-time applications decreased by 30.2%, subsequent applications by 7.0%. In 2023, a total of 351,915 asylum applications were submitted in Germany. In 2024, Syria, Afghanistan, and Türkiye remained the main countries of origin for asylum applicants in Germany. Somalia showed the largest percentage increase compared to 2023 (+31.2%, an additional 1,652 first-time applications). All other main nationalities showed decreases, with Türkiye experiencing the most significant decline (-52.3%, -32,004 first-time applications), followed by Iran (-44.3%,  -4,154 first-time applications). The top ten nationalities collectively accounted for 76.8% of all first-time asylum applications in 2024. Subsequent applications accounted for 8.4% of all asylum requests. The largest number of subsequent applications came from Syrian nationals (2,668), followed by Afghanistan (2,007), Türkiye (1,879), Moldova (1,472), and North Macedonia (1,406), collectively representing 44.5% of all subsequent applications. The overall protection rate stood at 44.4%.[1] This corresponds to 133,710 positive decisions out of the total 301,350. Compared to the previous year, when the overall protection rate was 51.7%, this represents a decrease of 7.3 percentage points. Out of the 301,350 total decisions in 2024, 20,823 were deportation bans (see Statistics).

Asylum Procedure

• Funding and staff increase for the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF): In 2024, the BAMF received a significant budget increase to address the rising number of asylum applications. The total increase in funding amounts to € 295 million, aimed at expanding personnel and enhancing digital infrastructure to accelerate asylum processing. Personnel expenses for officers at BAMF have risen by € 16.8 million to a total of € 250.91 million. Funding for temporary asylum decision-makers and support staff has increased by € 64.96 million, reaching €121.16 million. In March 2024, the BAMF which at that point employed around 8,000 staff members announced an increase in positions. In response to the high demand, the BAMF announced that 1,160 new positions would be added, representing a nearly 15% increase in workforce. These roles include 343 permanent positions and 817 temporary roles (fixed-term employment and labour leasing). The new positions were distributed across BAMF’s various locations in Germany (see Number of staff and nature of the first instance authority).
• Increased Schengen Border control measures and increased border rejections: Germany significantly expanded its border control policies in 2024, extending temporary internal border checks to all land borders. After maintaining controls at the Austrian border since 2015 and adding Poland, Czech Republic, and Switzerland in October 2023, Germany implemented comprehensive border controls at all land borders in September 2024, including France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Denmark. The Federal Ministry of Interior justified these six-month measures as necessary to enhance internal security and reduce irregular migration. These expanded controls faced substantial criticism from NGOs and legal experts who argued they potentially violate asylum laws and the Schengen Borders Code, which permits such measures only as a temporary last resort in response to serious security threats. Critics suggested the controls represent a broad migration control strategy rather than the targeted security response legally permitted. The data shows increasing border rejections throughout 2023 and 2024, with approximately 1,000 rejections recorded within the first month after the September 2024 expansion. Significantly, the percentage of intercepted individuals applying for asylum dropped from 45% in 2023 to 23% in the first half of 2024, affecting many people from countries with high asylum recognition rates like Afghanistan, Syria, and Iraq (see Access to the territory and push backs).
• Refugee Resettlement Program Pledges for 2024 at similar numbers to 2023: Germany allocated 13,100 refugee resettlement places across 2024-2025 (6,540 in 2024; 6,560 in 2025), prioritising vulnerable individuals from crisis regions. The program focuses on nationals from Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Congo, Burundi, and Eritrea, plus stateless individuals and others needing protection. The allocation includes up to 3,240 federal spots annually for refugees in Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, and Libya (including 200 for the “Neustart im Team” program), 3,000 places for Syrian refugees from Türkiye under the EU-Turkey Agreement, 100 places for Berlin’s state program, and 200 for Brandenburg in 2024. An “Unallocated Quota” provides 50 annual emergency spots for urgent cases referred by UNHCR (see Legal access to the territory).
• Continued participation in relocations under the voluntary European solidarity mechanism: as part of Germany’s 2022 commitment to accept 3,500 asylum seekers as part of the European voluntary solidarity mechanism, in 2024 584 individuals were transferred to Germany from Cyprus (567) and Spain (17) (see Legal access to the territory).
• Average processing time for asylum applications stood at 8.7 months in 2024: In 2024, Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reported an average asylum application processing time of 8.7 months, increasing from 6.8 months in 2023. This calculation method changed in 2023, now starting from when Germany assumes responsibility rather than formal application For “Jahresverfahren” (procedures initiated within the previous 12 months), which represented 70% of decided cases, the average processing time was 4.7 months in 2024. By January 2025, overall processing times increased to 12.0 months as BAMF prioritised clearing older cases, with Jahresverfahren dropping to about 50% of all procedures. For rejected applications requiring court proceedings, the length of first-instance court cases averaged 16.7 months as of February 2025 (Regular procedure).
• Increase in number of appeals: In 2024, more than 100,000 appeals against BAMF decisions were filed before German administrative courts, marking a sharp increase from approximately 72,000 in 2023 and around 62,000 in 2022. According to news reports citing a survey amongst relevant ministries of the states, this surge in appeals is partly due to the BAMF’s accelerating its processing of pending asylum cases from previous years (see Appeal).
• Relatively low numbers of Dublin transfers to other member states despite high numbers of requests in 2024: German authorities maintained a high volume of Dublin procedure activity, filing 74,583 outgoing transfer requests to other EU Member States, virtually unchanged from 74,622 in 2023 and up from 68,709 in 2022. Despite the large number of requests, only 5,827 actual transfers took place (7.8% of requests), showing a slight increase from 5,053 transfers in 2023. The primary recipients of Germany’s outgoing requests shifted slightly in 2024, with Greece (15,453), Croatia (14,068), and Italy (12,841) receiving the most requests, compared to Croatia, Italy, and Austria in 2023. On the incoming side, Germany received 14,984 requests in 2024 (down slightly from 15,568 in 2023), accepted 10,112 cases, and ultimately received 4,592 transfers. Most incoming requests originated from France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, maintaining the same pattern as previous years (see Dublin procedure).
• Breaches of “church asylum”: 2024 saw several forced removals from “church asylum” in Germany, drawing strong protests from religious institutions. The Protestant Church condemned authorities entering church premises to detain asylum seekers. Three significant cases exemplified this tension: In February, Rhineland-Palatinate police removed a Syrian man from “church asylum” who feared deportation to Syria via Denmark. In September, Hamburg authorities removed an Afghan man from St. Christophorus Church and deported him to Sweden under the Dublin regulation. In December, Bremen officials attempted to remove a Somali man from Zion Church for transfer to Finland but were blocked by the pastor and approximately 100 supporters (see Transfers, absconding and ‘church asylum’). According to the national authorities, in all these cases the federal office had rejected the application of the sovereignty clause and requested the person to leave the church asylum, which, the individuals did not follow, leading to their removal.
• Stated intention to resume Dublin transfers to Greece: Upon a freedom of information request, PRO ASYL obtained a letter by the BAMF dated February 2024 according to which since 31 January 2024, people from Algeria, Morocco, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia and Bangladesh are to be deported back to Greece as part of the Dublin procedure if there is a EURODAC hit from Greece. The BAMF stated that Greece accepts these returns and will individually guarantee their human rights-compliant accommodation. The BAMF also instructed the Federal States to treat transfers to Greece from the mentioned nationalities with priority. In 2024, Greece received 15,453 Dublin transfer requests from Germany, i.e. 20.7% of all transfer requests made by Germany. However, only 229 transfers were carried out. Administrative Courts ruling upon individual appeals did not find sufficient evidence of systemic deficiencies in Greece’s asylum system (see Dublin procedure).
• Increased number of inadmissibility decisions in cases for BIPs from Greece: In 2024, the BAMF issued 8,716 decisions in cases involving individuals who had already been granted international protection in Greece. 2,169 applicants were granted refugee status, 1,114 received subsidiary protection, and 639 were granted a removal ban, making an overall protection rate of 45%, a significant drop compared to 2% in 2023. 950 applications (10.9% of total decisions) were rejected on the merits. 844 cases (44.1% of total decisions) were resolved through formal decisions, including inadmissibility findings, a substantial increase compared to 11.5% in 2023. According to the BAMF, substantive decisions in such proceedings were partially and temporarily suspended in 2024 (on 16 May 2024) and 2025 in order to conduct an ‘in-depth examination’ of the situation of BIPs in Greece, and restarted after a judgment of 16 April 2025 by the Federal Administrative Court (see Admissibility procedure).
• Federal Administrative Court rules certain BIPs can return to Greece and Italy: Following the 2023 reform enabling the Federal Administrative Court (BVerwG) to make determinations on factual situations in countries of origin or destination, to harmonise jurisprudence when different Higher Administrative Courts reached conflicting assessments of conditions in specific countries, in 2024 and 2025, the Court issued landmark rulings on onward migration cases. In its November 2024 decision regarding Italy, it determined that non-vulnerable, employable protection holders could reasonably return to Italy, citing available accommodations through churches and NGOs along with employment opportunities. Building on this precedent, in April 2025, the Court ruled similarly on Greece, concluding that single, employable, non-vulnerable individuals with protection status would not face inhuman or degrading conditions upon return, allowing German authorities to reject such asylum applications as inadmissible (see Suspension of returns for beneficiaries of international protection in another Member State).
• Increased numbers of deportations in 2024: Between January and November 2024, Germany deported 18,384 individuals (21% increase from 2023), including 5,827 Dublin transfers to other EU countries. The top deportation destinations were Georgia (1,650), North Macedonia (1,274), Albania (1,034), Türkiye (993), and Serbia (957). During this period, 9,180 people left voluntarily through the REAG/GARP program, while approximately 25,100 departed with Border Crossing Certificates (10% increase from 2023) (see National protection statuses and return procedure).
• Legal Changes on subsequent asylum applications: In February 2024, Germany enacted the “Rückführungsverbesserungsgesetz” (Law on Improving Deportation Procedures), introducing key changes to subsequent asylum applications. The law allows authorities to declare applications “manifestly unfounded” if applicants had already undergone a previous subsequent asylum procedure. Under revised §71 AsylG, deportations can proceed after the decision of the BAMF that the application does not lead to a new asylum procedure if the authorities consider that the applicant has made a subsequent application merely to delay or frustrate the enforcement of a decision or if the applicant makes another subsequent application following a final decision considering a first subsequent application inadmissible or unfounded. This reform expanded search powers and extended pre-deportation detention periods. While intended to accelerate deportations and reduce system misuse, human rights organisations have criticised potential risks to procedural fairness and protection standards (see Subsequent applications).
• Suspension of decision-making re. Syrian applicants: Following the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the BAMF announced a temporary suspension in the processing of asylum applications from Syrians, affecting 47,270 applications according to media reports (see Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure).
• Suspension of decision-making re. ‘individuals from the Gaza strip’: in March 2025, the Federal Government stated that the BAMF had not been deciding on asylum applications from individuals from the Gaza Strip for over a year, invoking § 24(5) of the Asylum Act (AsylG), which allows for the deferral of asylum decisions in cases of temporarily uncertain situations. Because of this halt, as of February 28, 2025, a total of 1,218 asylum procedures concerning “persons from Palestinian territories (not recognised as a state)” were pending before the BAMF. Several administrative courts ruled in 2024 that such uncertainty can no longer be assumed in light of the “dramatic situation and widespread destruction in the Gaza Strip” (see Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure).
• Low admissions and suspension of new commitments under the Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan: The Federal Admission Program for Afghanistan faced continued difficulties in 2024. As of July 2024, the actual admission numbers under program remain far below the initial targets. A total of 3,081 individuals have received admission commitments, but only 1,508 people have entered. The International Rescue Committee explains that the program faces severe delays due to its complex and bureaucratic structure. According to them, the lack of sufficient resources for key actors has caused backlogs, with the BAMF and the German embassy’s visa section in Pakistan emerging as major bottlenecks. The BAMF, in contrast, rebuts this, stating that it was rather the “poor quality of cases suggested to the Government” holding up the process. In July 2024, several Afghans who had previously been granted resettlement to Germany, saw their approvals abruptly withdrawn without clear explanations, while the government cited new security interviews as the cause. Media investigations have revealed that these screenings include intrusive and controversial questions, such as opinions on the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine and hypothetical personal scenarios unrelated to security. In summer 2024, the government decided to halt new admission commitments under the program, and stated the suspension would remain in place until the end of the legislative term. NGOs ultimately fear a termination of the program following the early 2025 elections (see Differential treatment of specific nationalities in the procedure).

Reception conditions

• Further expansion and differentiation of centralised reception centres: Despite the Federal Government’s decision not to pursue the AnkER concept as a national standard, these centres continue to operate in several Federal States and are increasingly shaping the reception landscape. In 2024, Bavaria reaffirmed its commitment to the AnkER model by announcing the opening of a new AnkER centre in Munich. Additionally, Thuringia introduced a similar model through the creation of “Thüringer Zentren für Aufnahme und Rückführung” (TZAR), functioning as centralised facilities for asylum and return procedure, aligned with the AnkER structure (see Reception Conditions).
• Implementation of the payment card (Bezahlkarte): Following the political agreement in 2023, the payment card for asylum applicants officially became a recognised form of benefit distribution under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act in May 2024. By mid-2024, Bavaria had completed implementation, and several other states began individual rollouts due to delays in the EU-wide tender. The full coordinated rollout across 14 Federal States is set for January 2025. The card limits cash withdrawals (typically € 50 / month) and prohibits transfers, sparking criticism from civil society and several court procedures ruling on unlawful restrictions of the card (see Criteria and restrictions to access reception conditions).
• Adjustment of benefits and social policy shift: While financial allowances under the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act were increased at the beginning of 2024, a reduction was implemented as of January 2025. These reductions renewed criticism from NGOs, which argue that the distinction between German nationals and asylum applicants in defining “basic needs” lacks justification. Civil society has stressed that asylum applicants’ minimum subsistence level must be protected equally under constitutional law (see Forms and levels of material reception conditions).
• Ongoing use of emergency shelters: The use of emergency shelters such as the former Berlin-Tegel airport was prolonged due to insufficient long-term housing options available in the city. Originally temporary, these shelters now accommodate thousands under challenging conditions. Overcrowding, long waiting times for permanent housing, and lack of privacy and hygiene persist, prompting Berlin to plan permanent accommodation for up to 3,000 people at Tegel starting in 2025. Similar emergency accommodation measures continue in Hamburg, Cologne, and Bremen (see Types of accommodation).
• Occupancy pressure and regional disparities: While Berlin and Hamburg still report occupancy rates above 90%, some other states have experienced a drop in demand. For example, Thuringia’s occupancy rate dropped to 64% by the end of 2024. However, municipalities continue to report being overburdened, citing lack of funding and infrastructure for long-term accommodation. The Federal Government introduced a new financing model in 2024, providing a fixed annual payment of €7,500 per first-time asylum applicant to the Federal States, but many states continue to consider this amount insufficient to meet actual costs (see Conditions in reception facilities).
• Legal developments and practical implications: The Federal Constitutional Court’s 2022 ruling equalising benefits for single adults in and outside accommodation centres has still not been implemented legislatively but can be remedied through legal enforcement in individual cases. Additionally, legal challenges against the payment card (Bezahlkarte) and benefit reductions remain ongoing, with some social courts already indicating violations of personal circumstances and minimum subsistence guarantees (see Reception Conditions).

Detention of asylum seekers

• New legislation enters into force: The Act on the Improvement of Removals, introduced in October 2023, was passed in January 2024 and entered into force on 27 February 2024, introducing several significant reforms to Germany’s detention and return framework. These reforms sparked criticism from civil society for curtailing non-nationals’ rights and fast-tracking legislative changes without sufficient consultation. Despite a 22% increase in deportations in 2024, it remains unclear whether this was a direct result of the reform. Key changes include (see Detention of Asylum Seekers):
  • Asylum applicants can now be detained if grounds for detention existed when they lodged their application, particularly relevant for those filing subsequent applications to prevent imminent removal.
  • Pre-removal detention can now be ordered if removal is feasible within 6 months (previously 3).
  • Extension grounds were broadened to include individuals who entered legally but overstayed a visa-free or Schengen stay.
  • The maximum period for custody pending removal was extended from 10 to 28 days.
  • Detention to enforce cooperation is now also permitted in cases where individuals fail to cooperate in establishing their identity.
  • Courts must now provide legal representation to detainees not yet represented.
  • Minors and families are no longer to be detained “in principle,” marking a shift from the prior standard of “only in exceptional cases.”
  • Authorities are now permitted to appeal court decisions that reject detention orders.
  • New powers were granted for unannounced removals (except for families with children under 12), extended search authority within reception centres, and broader access to private belongings to identify or document individuals.
  • Rules on entry bans were tightened, and the scope for expulsion of individuals with criminal convictions expanded.
• Changes in detention conditions in Bavarian pre-removal centres: following a ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) from 26 March 2024, the centres of Hof and Eichstätt in Bavaria introduced new rules to better distinguish detention conditions from those of the penal system, such as allowing for more freedom of movement within the centre, daily outdoor access, lifting limits on visiting times (see Detention conditions).

Content of international protection

• Cessation and revocation: In 2024, revocation procedures increased slightly to 17,578, following a record low in 2023 (15,424). However, the number of actual revocations remained low: the status of 2,229 persons was withdrawn or revoked, mainly affecting nationals from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran. Legal reforms adopted in 2023 and applied throughout 2024 abolished routine reviews of protection status and limited cessation to voluntary declarations, while revocations must now be based on concrete individual circumstances. Although attendance at BAMF interviews is now mandatory, only one fine was issued in 2024 for failure to comply (see Cessation and review of protection status).
• Further cuts in support structures: Refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection continued to face housing difficulties due to a worsening shortage of affordable flats and rising costs for staying in collective accommodation. In some cities, the monthly fees for residents in shared accommodation exceeded local rental prices. Civil society criticised the high financial burden placed on beneficiaries as well as the lack of adequate housing options (see Housing).
• Key jurisprudence on family reunification: In January 2024, the CJEU reaffirmed that the age of a child at the time of the asylum application — not at the time of the family’s departure — is decisive for the right to family reunification. German courts had previously interpreted this requirement more restrictively. While the Federal Government announced it would implement the ruling, civil society groups criticised the years of non-compliance and resulting family separations. Waiting times for family reunification visas remained excessive in 2024, with delays exceeding 12 months in several embassies (see Family reunification).
• Naturalisation reform: A new law entering into force in June 2024 reduced the waiting period for naturalisation from 8 to 5 years (or 3 in cases of exceptional integration) and removed the general requirement to renounce previous nationality. Beneficiaries of international protection continue to have their asylum procedure counted toward the required period of residence (see Naturalisation).

Temporary protection

The information given hereafter constitute a short summary of the German Report on Temporary Protection, for further information, see Annex on Temporary Protection.

• Key statistics on temporary protection: As of March 2025, 1,252,948 persons were registered in the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR), and 1,075,217 persons held a residence permit for temporary protection under Section 24 of the Residence Act. Among those registered, 97% were of Ukrainian nationality, 63% were women, and about 28.8% were under 18 years old.

Temporary protection procedure

• Automatic extension of residence permits until 2026: In November 2024, the German government adopted the Ukraine-Aufenthaltserlaubnis-Fortgeltungsverordnung, automatically extending all valid temporary protection residence permits under § 24 Residence Act until 4 March 2026, following the EU Council’s prolongation decision. Beneficiaries were not required to apply individually for renewal.
• Exclusion of Ukrainians with prior protection elsewhere: A May 2024 circular letter from the Federal Ministry of the Interior introduced a key restriction: Ukrainian nationals who had previously found protection in a non-EU third country before arriving in Germany are no longer eligible for temporary protection in Germany, as they are not considered forcibly displaced. The implementation of this into practice remains to be evaluated.
• End of eligibility for certain third-country nationals after 5 March 2025: The May 2024 circular letter from the Federal Ministry of the Interior clarified that third-country nationals who only had a temporary residence in Ukraine before arriving in Germany will lose eligibility for temporary protection in Germany after 5 March 2025. They must then seek asylum or alternative residence permits.
• Discontinuation of federal support for vulnerable groups: In June 2024, the federal coordination platform for people with disabilities (Bundeskontaktstelle für Geflüchtete mit Behinderung und Pflegebedürftige) was discontinued. Its closure further highlighted the absence of a systematic mechanism for identifying and supporting vulnerable groups during registration and distribution processes.
• Stationary border controls and racial profiling allegations: With the introduction of stationary border controls in September 2024, complaints of racial profiling by federal police increased.

Content of temporary protection

• Residence permit validity and scope: As of March 2025, 1,075,217 persons held valid residence permits for temporary protection. These permits are issued until 4 March 2026, and include full access to social benefits under the Social Code, equal to those available to German nationals.
• Housing: studies published in 2024 and 2025 found that over 75% of Ukrainian refugees live in private accommodation, while the others reside in reception centres and hotels. However, shortage of available housing, both private and in reception centres, remains a serious issue at least in parts of the country, e.g. in cities like Hamburg and Berlin. For instance, the former Tegel airport in Berlin, which continues to serve as a reception centre for refugees, was reported as overcrowded, and presenting poor living conditions and limited amenities prompting frequent tensions.
• Labour market access fully granted – but not always realised: Since June 2022, TPBs have had unrestricted access to the labour market. In December 2024, employment among Ukrainian nationals rose to 265,800. Employment among Ukrainian refugees has nearly doubled from 16% in late 2022 to 30% in 2024. However, obstacles remain, such as language difficulties, childcare obligations, and third-country nationals often face procedural challenges attributed to the overall considerable workload of the relevant authorities, including mainly but not limited to the local level.
• Education access increasing amid teacher shortages: By March 2025, 223,830 children from Ukraine were enrolled in schools across Germany. However, overall, the German education system faced a shortage of 17,374 teachers in 2024, particularly in secondary and vocational education. While support structures like welcome classes and Ukrainian-language materials exist, regional implementation varies widely.
• Freedom of movement and mobility preserved: TPBs may travel within the EU for up to 90 days within 180 days and may temporarily return to Ukraine without affecting their protection status. However, absence from Germany for over six months or emigration to another Member State may result in cessation of benefits. According to an updated study published in March 2025, 59% of Ukrainian refugees who arrived between February and May 2022 intend to stay in Germany permanently; among those who arrived after June 2022, the share rises to 69%. These findings suggest that a growing portion of TPBs are settling in Germany with long-term perspectives, influenced by factors such as the protracted nature of the war and integration developments.

[1] BAMF, Akutelle Zahlen, December 2024, available in German here, 11.