Germany’s interior ministry says 55,259 asylum applications — mostly by Syrians, Afghans and Iraqis — were filed in the country in May.
The figure represents an increase of 113 percent compared with the same month in 2015.
The high number is partly due to the lag between migrants’ arriving in Germany and formally applying for asylum.
Last year German authorities registered almost 1.1 million arrivals of people who claimed to be fleeing war or persecution.
Toward the end of 2015 hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers were arriving monthly.
The number of new arrivals has decreased in recent months due to the closure of borders in southeastern Europe and Turkey.
The interior ministry says that 16,281 asylum seekers entered the country in May.
— AP
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this