The number of people applying for asylum in Germany rose in January compared to the month before, but remains well-below levels seen a year earlier, according to new figures from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
Even after the fall of ruler Bashar al-Assad, Syria remains the top country of origin for people applying for asylum in Germany, accounting for 30.4% of all new asylum claims, the agency said.
Overall, the number of first-time asylum applications rose by 22.5% compared to December, hitting 14,920. But that remains well below the number of first-time asylum applications seen in January 2024, when 26,376 people applied.
After Syria, Afghanistan (13%) and Turkey (11.2%) were the source of the most asylum-seekers filing new applications in Germany.
Many of the applications submitted for Syrian nationals concern children born in Germany, the agency said.
Germany suspended decisions on Syrian asylum cases on December 9, following al-Assad’s decision to flee the country in the face of an offensive by anti-regime Islamist forces.
German officials justified the pause by saying that time is needed to assess the current situation in Syria, which would impact the cases of people claiming protection from dangers there.
