Germany reports slight decline in refugee numbers and increased border rejections

asylum seekers refugee numbers border controls Ukraine refugees migration policy

Germany has seen a slight decrease in the total number of refugees living in the country, dropping by approximately 20,000 to a total of 3.507 million in the first half of 2026. This decline is attributed to deportations, departures, and naturalization processes, alongside a continuous decrease in new asylum seekers from Ukraine. Currently, approximately 1.35 million Ukrainian refugees reside in Germany.

Regarding border enforcement, the Federal Police reported that more than half of the asylum seekers identified at German land borders in the first half of the year were rejected. Out of 1,024 asylum seekers registered at land borders, 514 were turned away. This follows intensified temporary border controls ordered by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in May 2025, which include the rejection of asylum seekers except for vulnerable groups such as minors, the sick, or pregnant women.

Clara Bünger, the refugee policy spokesperson for The Left Party, has criticized the government's approach. She argued that the administration's plans regarding the legal status and benefits of newly arrived Ukrainian refugees are insulting to those fleeing war and suggested a need for a policy shift as the influx of new arrivals from Ukraine steadily declines.

Entities

Alexander Dobrindt · Aminata Touré · Bündnis 90/Die Grünen · Clara Bünger · Dirk Kock-Rohwer · Federal Police · Germany · Lower Saxony State Parliament · The Left Party · Volkswagen

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