Berlin, Germany — Germany recorded a notable decline in the number of asylum applications in 2025, continuing the downward trend for the second consecutive year, according to official data released by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. This decrease reflects a clear shift in migration patterns after years of a significant rise in arrivals.
According to the ministry’s data, the number of first-time asylum applications fell from around 230,000 in 2024 to approximately 113,000 in 2025, representing a decline of nearly 50%.
This comes after Germany recorded approximately 329,000 initial asylum applications in 2023. This highlights the significant decline over the past two years.
Decrease in asylum applications
The figures also showed a decrease in the total number of asylum applications, including initial and follow-up applications, by more than 82,000 between 2024 and 2025. This is equivalent to a decrease of more than a third.
According to the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, the Interior Ministry reported that the total number of asylum applications in 2025 was approximately 168,543. This was compared to 250,945 applications in 2024, a decrease of 32.8%. In 2023, the total number of asylum applications reached 351,915.
Cancel the Fast-Track Naturalization Policy
The Interior Ministry attributed this decline to a series of strict measures adopted by the government, including the return of asylum seekers at the border.
Also, family reunification has been suspended in some cases, the so-called “fast-track naturalization” policy has been cancelled, and deportations of people whose applications have been rejected have been intensified.
In this context, Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, a member of the Christian Social Union, stressed that the government is taking a strict approach to managing the immigration issue.
The minister emphasized that those who do not deserve protection should not come to Germany, and that those who commit crimes must leave the country. He added that Germany’s message regarding its stricter immigration policy is clear and has reached its European partners and the international community.
