Expert says new German government’s migration policy ineffective

Germany’s migration policy under the conservative–led coalition government has had little effect on the number of asylum seekers in the country, according to migration researcher Victoria Rietig.

The sharp drop in first-time asylum applications compared to last year was far more a result of the changed political situation in Syria and the effects of international agreements than of national policy in Germany, Rietig said on Tuesday.

Rietig, head of the Center for Migration at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) think tank, was speaking at the Nuremberg Migration Days, organized by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).

According to BAMF statistics, 142,495 asylum applications were filed in Germany in the first 10 months of 2025, including 97,277 first-time applications – about half as many as during the same period the previous year.

From January to April, before the change of government in May, the number of first-time applications had already fallen by around 43%.

Rietig said the number of first-time applications has remained largely stable under the new government. However, when repeat applications are included, the overall figure has doubled. Many Afghan women have reapplied out of fear of losing their protection status and being deported, she added.

According to BAMF, repeat applications rose by 153% year on year.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s centre-right coalition has vowed to take a tough stance on migration, including rejecting more asylum seekers – especially those with a criminal record.

Rietig said border rejections have had little effect. They account for about 1,000 in the first six months of the new government, or roughly six per day.

The new policy, she said, was generating high costs at the border, while its numerical benefits had yet to materialize.