Increase in individuals requesting safety in Germany
In recent times, war and political persecution have led countless individuals to seek refuge in Germany. While the overall number of refugees seeking protection has increased by about 3%, the number of Ukrainian citizens seeking asylum is starting to decrease. However, this drop is being compensated for by rising registration numbers from other nations, particularly Syria and Afghanistan.
At year's end in 2023, approximately 3.17 million people were in Germany looking for safety from their homelands. In comparison to 2022, this represents an increase of close to 95,000 – the majority of whom hailed from Ukraine. However, there was a 3% decline in the number of Ukrainian refugees compared to the previous year. Instead, Syrian and Afghan citizens saw a significant rise in registration numbers, with Syrians up 6% and Afghan citizens showing a 13% jump. Over 200,000 Iraqis also sought asylum, a 5% decrease from the previous year. Surprisingly, the group from Turkey had a 51% increase in registration figures.
Notably, the category of refugees refers to foreign citizens who come to Germany for reasons laid out within international law, humanitarian grounds, or political motivations.
By the end of 2023, a staggering 2.53 million refugees had acquired a humanitarian residence permit, which means they had been granted a recognized protection status. This uptick in numbers can mainly be attributed to the presence of Ukrainian nationals – although the majority of these permits issued were just temporary in nature.
Interestingly, it was reported that nearly 50% of all recognized security seekers were women and girls, with this figure differing depending on their country of origin. For instance, an astonishing 62% of Ukrainian women and girls were among those seeking protection. The average age for these recognized refugees was a relatively young 32.2 years. In comparison, the average German resident is 44.6 years old.
Finally, the distribution of recognized refugees across Germany's various states was highly varied. While the city-states of Bremen, Hamburg, and Berlin saw the largest proportions (5.5%, 4.1%, and 4.0% respectively), other areas such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bavaria, and Brandenburg witnessed proportionally fewer refugees, registering 2.3%, 2.2%, and 2.1% of the total, respectively. [END]
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Source: www.ntv.de
