175,000 applied for asylum in Germany in first seven months of 2023

BERLIN (AA): Some 175,000 migrants applied for asylum in Germany from January to July this year, the government has said in a new report.

The number of asylum applications increased by almost 78% compared with the same period last year, according to the latest figures of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

Syrians and Afghans were the two largest groups of asylum applicants, with 51,692 and 31,334 cases, respectively.

Poverty-stricken families affected by war, conflict or natural disasters seek better life chances overseas. However, they encounter insurmountable obstacles on the way and at European borders.

Since January, German authorities have examined over 153,912 asylum requests, and 51.7% of the applicants were granted with refugee status or subsidiary protection.

Germany, which is Europe’s largest economy, remains a top destination for migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the EU.

Bavaria state’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann said earlier that the figures could further increase in the coming months and could reach 400,000 by the end of the year.

Local authorities are complaining that they do not have enough resources to provide housing and social support for newly arrived asylum seekers.

In 2022, Germany received a quarter (25%) of the asylum applications in the EU, followed by France (16%), Spain (12%), Austria (11%), and Italy (9%).