The number of asylum applications in Germany rose sharply in the first half of 2022, increasing by 44 percent between January and June when compared to the same period last year, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) announced.
A total of 84,583 individuals applied for asylum in the country, with the majority originating from predominantly Islamic countries.
Most initial applications were submitted by nationals from Syria (24,492), Afghanistan (15,093), Iraq (7,512), and Turkey (6,217). One in seven initial applications concerned a child born in Germany under the age of 1.
Proportionally, the influx in the most populous federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) increased more than anywhere else. Compared to the same period last year, the state saw a nearly 49 percent increase in foreign nationals seeking admission. Overall, the BAMF counted 16,067 asylum applications for NRW alone. This is 5,245 more than in the first half of 2021.
