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The number of new asylum applications in Germany has fallen sharply, while the proportion of applicants granted protection has recently risen again, the latest official figures show.<\/p>\n
A total of 39,646 people filed first-time asylum applications in Germany in the first half of 2026, down from 72,818 in the same period last year, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).<\/p>\n
At the same time, the rate of people granted protection status stood at 47.4% in the first six months of the year, up from 37.5% for 2025 as a whole.<\/p>\n
The rate excludes cases that are closed without the asylum claim itself being examined.<\/p>\n
The asylum applications of families were particularly successful, with protection granted in 21,195 cases in the first half of 2026. This accounted for 45.6% of positive decisions.<\/p>\n
Afghanistan was the main country of origin among asylum applicants in the first half of the year, according to a government response to a parliamentary inquiry by The Left party seen by dpa.<\/p>\n
The approval rate for Afghans stood at 89.3%.<\/p>\n
One factor behind the increase is a 2024 European Court of Justice decision that ruled that women from Afghanistan are generally entitled to protection because they are at risk of gender-based persecution under the Taliban regime.<\/p>\n
Nearly 95% of decisions involving Afghan women resulted in protection being granted.<\/p>\n
The government also said BAMF had filed only three criminal complaints since a provision targeting false or incomplete information provided in asylum proceedings took effect in February 2024.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n