Berlin had previously voted to tighten border controls following a spree of violent crimes committed by foreign nationals

Germany, which has been the primary destination for asylum seekers in the EU, has seen a major decline in new applications, Der Spiegel reported on Monday, citing a recent study by the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA). The reduction in applications comes as German authorities have introduced stricter border checks amid growing anti-immigrant sentiment in the country.

According to the report, the overall number of asylum requests in Germany in 2024 dropped by nearly 30% compared to the previous year, with EUAA figures showing a decrease of around 92,000 applications. Nevertheless, Germany has remained the number one destination for first-time applicants, the EUAA has found.

Meanwhile, across the EU, Norway, and Switzerland, asylum claims have also fallen, with a total of 1.01 million applications recorded in 2024, down 100,000 from the previous year. At the same time, application rates in countries like Spain, France and Italy have remained largely the same.

The report stated that most applicants last year came from Syria, followed by Afghanistan, Venezuela and Türkiye.

The sharp decline in applications comes as Berlin has introduced tougher entry policies in response to growing public concerns. In 2024, Germany expanded border controls with its EU neighbors, citing an increase in irregular migration. The measures, which included stricter checks along the country's borders with Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic, were extended for an additional six months in January ahead of federal elections.

Anti-immigration sentiments in Germany have also continued to grow in light of violent incidents being perpetrated by foreign nationals. Last month, an Afghan asylum seeker drove a car into a labour union rally in Munich, killing at least two people, including a two-year-old child, and injuring at least 39 more.

A similar incident took place in December, when a 50-year-old Saudi psychiatrist drove his car into a crowd at the Magdeburg Christmas market, resulting in five fatalities, including a child, and injuring over 200 people.

These and other high-profile attacks have intensified political calls in recent years for stronger restrictions on immigration, which became one of the key issues in the recent parliamentary elections. Last week, the ruling Social Democratic Party lost ground to the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), which had campaigned on stricter policies.

(RT.com)