They come because of danger to life and limb or because they are being politically persecuted. Millions of people were in Germany last year because they were looking for protection.
The number of foreigners seeking protection in Germany has risen again by the end of 2023. At the end of last year, 3.17 million people were registered as seeking protection in the Central Register of Foreigners, 95,000 more than in the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced.
In the wake of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the number of people seeking protection also increased in 2022. They are staying in Germany citing international law, humanitarian or political reasons.
According to the Federal Office, most people come from Ukraine with 977,000, although the number decreased by three percent compared to the previous year. Other large groups, with 712,000 people, come from Syria (plus 6 percent), Afghanistan (323,000/ plus 13 percent), Iraq (200,000/ minus 5 percent) and Turkey (152,000/ plus 51 percent). These five nationalities accounted for almost three quarters of all those seeking protection.
For the vast majority, protection status is temporary
At the end of last year, a good 2.5 million people had protection status for humanitarian reasons. That was twelve percent more than the year before, which was mainly due to the recognition of Ukrainian war refugees. Overall, the vast majority of these people, 87 percent, had temporary protection status.
Around half of the people with a temporary residence status received this through an asylum procedure. There was also protection without an asylum procedure, such as was granted because of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. There were 189,000 refugees whose asylum applications were rejected or who lost their protection status.
According to the Federal Office, 455,000 people’s protection status was still open at the end of 2023 due to decisions that were not yet legally binding. That was 20 percent less than the previous year, which, according to the statisticians, was mainly due to processed applications from people from Ukraine.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
