Latest news with #FederalOfficeforMigrationandRefugees
Local Germany
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Germany to follow Austria and deport convicted Syrians
The ministry had instructed the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) to take action against "dangerous Syrian individuals and delinquents", a spokesman told AFP, confirming a report appearing in the Sunday edition of Welt newspaper. The spokesman stressed that committing serious crimes meant one was excluded from the protection afforded by asylum and could lead to the revocation of any such status already granted. An agreement reached by the coalition made up of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservatives and the Social Democrats provided for deportations to Afghanistan and Syria "starting with delinquents and people considered a threat," the spokesman added. To that end the ministry was in contact with the relevant Syrian authorities, he said. Between January and May, the BAMF has opened more than 3,500 procedures that could lead to the revocation of asylum rights granted to Syrian nationals, the ministry said in an answer to a question in parliament. Refugee status had been withdrawn in 57 cases and lower-level protection in 22 other cases, said the ministry. During the same period, around 800 Syrians have returned home as part of a voluntary repatriation programme funded by Germany, to which 2,000 have so far signed up. READ ALSO: How German media reveals its bias when foreigners commit crimes Around a million Syrians live in Germany, most of whom arrived during the major exodus between 2015 and 2016. Advertisement But since the December 2024 fall of president Bashar al-Assad, several European countries, including Austria and Germany, have suspended asylum procedures as far-right parties have campaigned on the issue. Austria's interior ministry on Thursday deported a Syrian criminal convict back to Syria, saying it was the first EU country to do so officially "in recent years". Germany has in recent months suffered several deadly attacks by jihadists using bladed weapons as well as far-right violence, which has pushed the issue of security up the political agenda.
See - Sada Elbalad
05-07-2025
- Politics
- See - Sada Elbalad
Germany Sees 50% Drop in Asylum Applications
Israa Farhan Germany has recorded a sharp decline in asylum applications during the first six months of 2025, with figures showing a 50% drop compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The agency reported that 61,336 individuals submitted first-time asylum requests between January and June this year, marking a significant downturn in migration pressures on the country's asylum system. The sharp reduction is attributed to a combination of stricter migration control measures and evolving geopolitical dynamics. One key factor cited is the coordinated action taken by several Balkan states to curb irregular migration flows toward the European Union. These efforts, coupled with stepped-up stationary border checks introduced by Berlin along Germany's land borders, have contributed to the decline. Additionally, changing conditions in Syria since early December 2024 have influenced the migration trends, further reducing the number of people seeking protection in Germany. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Videos & Features Video: Trending Lifestyle TikToker Valeria Márquez Shot Dead during Live Stream Technology 50-Year Soviet Spacecraft 'Kosmos 482' Crashes into Indian Ocean
Epoch Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Germany to Turn Away More Asylum Seekers at Border
The new German government has ordered the pushback of more illegal immigrants and asylum seekers at the nation's borders. On the first day of the new administration, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt issued the order on 'This issue is about clarity, consistency and control. We are not going to close the borders, but we are going to control the borders more strictly and this stronger control of the borders will also lead to a higher number of rejections,' Dobrindt 'We will ensure that, step by step, more police forces are deployed at the borders and can also carry out these push-backs.' He added that vulnerable people, including children and pregnant women, would not be rejected at the German border. 'It's not a question of starting to reject everyone in full tomorrow, but of ensuring, bit by bit, that the excessive demands are reduced, that we reduce the numbers and that we send a clear signal to the world and to Europe that the policy in Germany has changed,' Dobrindt said in comments published in Related Stories 5/2/2025 5/6/2025 The order rescinds the de facto 2015 practice under former Chancellor Angela Merkel that allowed one million undocumented immigrants to enter Germany at the border if they claimed asylum. At the time, Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees announced, in one single social-media As a result, Germany became the In January, Merz, whose new government formally His administration, in coalition with the centre-left SPD, has the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) hot on its heels, which touts a harder line on immigration and has been consistently polling as the country's second-most popular party. Merz Last week, Germany's domestic intelligence agency officially classified AfD as A survey by Ipsos in AfD announced that it was suing the country's domestic intelligence service for classifying it as a 'right-wing extremist organization.' Dobrindt's policy is in line with Europe which is Under the EU's Pact on Migration and Asylum, member states can strike agreements with non-EU states to handle asylum claims extraterritorially, potentially setting up processing centers in North Africa or beyond. Illegal immigrants are entering the EU primarily via Mediterranean sea crossings from North Africa and by overland routes through Poland and the Balkans, according to data from Frontex, the European Border, and Coast Guard Agency. Under pressure from parties with more hardline immigration platforms, establishment political parties have steadily abandoned their once-progressive immigration stances and supported the reintroduction of In 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen She also suggested sending those with no right to stay in the EU to 'return hubs' in non-EU countries, such as Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, Senegal, and Mali. No such hubs have been established yet.
Hindustan Times
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Germany halts Afghan refugee admission flights pending new government decision
BERLIN, - Germany's outgoing government has suspended flights for voluntary admissions of Afghan refugees for two weeks pending a decision by the next government on how to proceed, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Earlier this month, the future governing coalition of conservatives and Social Democrats agreed to curb irregular migration, reflecting a mounting public backlash after several violent attacks by migrants as well as increasing pressure on housing and other infrastructure. After the Western allies' hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, Germany felt a strong obligation to protect former local staff of German agencies and humanitarian organisations there, and established several programmes to resettle them along with particularly vulnerable Afghans. According to the Federal Foreign Office, a total of 36,000 people have entered Germany under such voluntary programmes, including a good 20,000 who were local staff and their families. Around 2,600 people approved for admission by Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees are currently waiting in Pakistan for a German visa and charter flights, 350 of whom are former local employees, the foreign office added. In addition to receiving admission approval, applicants must complete a visa process and security screening involving the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the Federal Police, and the Federal Criminal Police Office. The current Greens-led foreign ministry said that existing admission confirmations were legally binding and could only be revoked under specific conditions. This meant it could be difficult for the new government to cancel them regardless of who takes over the interior or foreign ministries. Germany's outgoing government arranged several resettlement flights in recent weeks, drawing criticism from conservative politicians who argued that the SPD-Greens coalition was rushing to admit new arrivals before it hands over. "For several weeks now, we've been seeing planes arrive in Germany on a daily basis. I believe that's wrong. It creates the impression that an outgoing federal government is trying to establish facts on the ground in its final days," Thorsten Frei, a parliamentary leader of the conservative bloc, said. ProAsyl, a German NGO providing legal help to asylum seekers, warned that halting the final rescue flights would leave vulnerable Afghans at risk of torture or death if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. "The German government itself has determined their endangerment ... A return or deportation to Afghanistan could mean torture or even death for them," said Wiebke Judith, ProAsyl legal policy spokesperson.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Germany's asylum rate drops in 2025 after pause on Syrian decisions
Fewer asylum seekers were granted protection status in Germany in January and February compared to the same period last year, according to the latest figures released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) on Friday. Some 19.1% of applicants were granted protection status or the right to remain due to a ban on deportations during the first two months of the year compared to 45% during the same period in 2024. The lower protection rate was mainly due to decisions being paused on applications from Syrian nationals following the overthrow of Syria's long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December. The Interior Ministry justified the temporary halt on decisions with the dynamic situation in the country. Syria continues to top the list of the main countries of origin for asylum seekers in Germany, with Syrian nationals accounting for 27.7% of asylum applications in February, followed by Afghans at 15.3% and Turkish applicants at 10%, the BAMF figures showed. Despite the lower protection rate, BAMF has made 55,070 decisions on asylum applications in the last two months, which is consistent with the 54,705 decisions it made during the same period last year. The average duration for the process was 12.3 months in February, as the office works through a backlog caused in part by the high number of applications in 2023. Those who submitted an application in the last 12 months received a decision after an average of 4.3 months, BAMF noted. The number of first-time asylum applications in Germany decreased to 229,751 in 2024, a 30.2% drop from 2023. The number of asylum applications in the European Union, Norway and Switzerland also fell during this period by 12%, according to the EU asylum agency.
