Government figures show 8,534 fewer applications for asylum were submitted in 2019 than in the previous year when 129,628 claims were made. The Interior Ministry said the number of asylum seekers in Germany had decreased for the third year in a row. The figures focus on "cross-border asylum applications" – these are people who apply for asylum after entering Germany. In addition, 23,429 people who were already in Germany before 2019 submitted asylum applications. In December 2019, 6,771 cross-border asylum applications were submitted to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees BAMF.

Source: The Local January 08, 2020 15:00 UTC