Germany sharply tightens approach to Syrian refugees, rejection rate hits 99%

Germany has resumed consideration of nearly 53,000 suspended asylum applications from Syrians and has begun rejecting them en masse. According to Bild, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) is focusing primarily on young men of working age, applying accelerated procedures without taking the current situation in Syria into account. The review had been frozen for almost a year following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the announcement of the end of the civil war. I

n October, only one applicant out of more than 3,000 was granted asylum, while several others received limited forms of protection, resulting in a rejection rate exceeding 99%.

Lawyers predict a wave of court appeals that may temporarily block deportations. If courts uphold BAMF’s decisions, Syrians will have 30 days to leave Germany. Although no forced deportations have taken place yet, preparatory procedures are already underway.