Fewer people in need of protection in Germany
Fleeing war and persecution: at the end of 2025, there were fewer people in need of protection in Germany than a year earlier. Most people in need of protection came from Ukraine.
Wiesbaden/Berlin (dpa) – At the end of 2025, fewer people in need of protection were registered in Germany than a year earlier. According to the Federal Statistical Office, around 3.2 million people were registered as people in need of protection in the Central Register of Foreigners at the end of 2025. At the end of 2024 the figure was 2.1 percent higher, or 68,000 people. People in need of protection are foreigners residing in Germany based on international law or for humanitarian or political reasons. This includes refugees and asylum seekers. Most people in need of protection came from Ukraine (around 1.16 million); together with Syrians and Afghans, they accounted for around two thirds of all those in need of protection.
At the same time, around 35,000 people have been turned back directly at the border or while attempting to cross the border illegally since May 2025. Since May 8, 2025, the federal police have recorded 47,659 unauthorised entries; 294 people from vulnerable groups expressed a wish to apply for asylum. A total of 1,415 people smugglers and 8,842 people with outstanding arrest warrants were arrested; in addition, 1,581 individuals linked to extremist circles were identified.
