German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser reported a significant decline in asylum applications and an increase in deportations, attributing these changes to improved border controls and enhanced collaboration with neighboring countries.

At a recent press conference in Berlin, Faeser emphasized her government's focus on strengthening labor migration, reducing irregular migration, and combating human smuggling.

She noted that Germany has provided protection for over 1.2 million refugees from Ukraine, with nearly one-third of these individuals being children and adolescents.

Statistical data reveals a shift in migration patterns towards Germany.

After witnessing an increase in asylum seekers in 2021, first-time asylum applications saw a notable decrease in 2024, dropping by 30.2% compared to the previous year.

Overall, the total number of asylum requests has also seen a decline.

Faeser credited government reforms, which include the acceleration and digitalization of asylum procedures as well as increased staffing at the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

Additionally, unauthorized entries into Germany have significantly decreased, which Faeser associated with stricter border controls and intensified efforts to dismantle human smuggling networks.

The closure of the refugee route from Serbia to Hungary in late 2023 was identified by Hans-Eckhard Sommer, head of BAMF, as a major factor contributing to this decline.

Despite the effectiveness of these measures, concerns remain over ongoing global migration pressures, particularly from areas experiencing conflict such as Sudan and Gaza.

Following developments in October 2023, Faeser ordered the expansion of enhanced border controls, which were previously limited to Germany's border with Austria, to include borders with Switzerland, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

Reports from the German federal police indicate that approximately 86,000 unauthorized entries were recorded during these enhanced controls, with around 50,000 individuals turned back.

It remains uncertain how many of these individuals might have entered Germany through other routes or subsequently filed for asylum.

In response to the situation, Faeser reported that over 2,000 human smugglers have been apprehended by federal police since the new border controls were implemented.

Furthermore, the number of detected smuggled individuals has dropped significantly, from 40,000 in 2023 to 10,000 in 2024. The police union has called for increased resources, both in terms of authority and funding, to more effectively address and combat smuggling networks.

While Faeser highlighted the streamlined nature of asylum procedures, statistics indicate that the average processing time for asylum applications has increased to 8.7 months, marking the longest wait period since 2017. This delay is attributed, in part, to the need to resolve a backlog of complex cases from previous years.

In 2024, Germany recorded a total of 229,751 initial asylum applications submitted, alongside 21,194 follow-up applications.

The substantial decline in first-time applications is closely linked to Serbia’s actions to block the traditional migration route to Hungary.

Separately, Hans-Eckhard Sommer has proposed a more fundamental change to the asylum system, advocating for the elimination of the individual right to asylum in favor of humanitarian admission programs.

This proposal has sparked debate and criticism among various political factions in Germany, raising concerns about its implications for existing international treaties and the treatment of vulnerable migrants.