The number of people applying for asylum in Germany for the first time declined noticeably again in March. A total of 6,981 initial applications were registered last month, the German newspaper Bild reported on Thursday, citing figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior. This corresponds to a decrease of around 22 percent compared to the same month last year (March 2025: 8,983 applications).
In the first quarter of this year, a total of 21,617 refugees submitted an initial asylum application, compared to 35,657 in the same period last year. This represents a decline of 39 percent. Initial applications refer to asylum requests from migrants who have not previously submitted such an application in the Federal Republic of Germany.
According to the figures, there was also a strong decline in the number of illegal entries into Germany. From January to March 2026, the Federal Police recorded exactly 12,147 unauthorized entries at all German land, air, and sea borders, the lowest level since the coronavirus year 2021 (9,653 unauthorized entries). In 2023 and 2024, there were nearly 20,000 cases each year.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) interpreted the development as a success of the current government line. "The asylum policy shift is taking effect. The number of asylum applications continues to fall," Dobrindt said to the Bild newspaper. "We are consistently continuing our course of control, direction, and a clear hard line."
In an internal report by German security authorities, which was available to Bild, it states: "Typically for the season, detections of illegal migration at Germany’s borders are currently at a low level." A main reason, in addition to the time of year, is "sustainably reduced migration movements" of people from the main countries of origin Afghanistan, Syria, and Turkey, as well as new destination countries such as France, Great Britain, and the Scandinavian states.
Since border controls were tightened on May 7, 2025, the Federal Police have recorded 43,432 unauthorized entries, according to the report. Of these, 31,725 people were immediately turned back, meaning nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of all cases. Particularly vulnerable groups such as elderly people, the sick, and children were allowed to enter. According to the report, this occurred in 278 cases.
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