The number of asylum applications in Germany continues to decline, with 17,231 initial applications registered in May, according to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF).
From January to May there were a total of 103,467 applications, a decrease of 17.6% compared to the same period last year. In April the decline was 16.7%. According to the BAMF, about a third of asylum seekers still come from Syria, followed by Afghanistan and Turkey.
The migration agency says it has decided 131,750 asylum cases so far this year. Less than half of asylum seekers (46.8%) were granted protection status and 35,892 asylum seekers were rejected.
Another 34,183 procedures were terminated for other reasons, for example if the applicant withdrew his application because he no longer had any prospects of success. The BAMF made 108,606 decisions in the same period last year.
Migration is a sensitive issue in Germany and has fueled the rise of anti-immigrant parties ahead of the European Parliament elections currently underway, as well as three key German state elections later this year.
