Germany reports 37% drop in asylum applications after stricter border controls

By Anadolu staff

BERLIN (AA) - Germany reported a 37% drop in asylum applications in January after implementing stricter border control measures across its frontiers.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Tuesday that unauthorized border crossings also decreased by 25% last month, following the government's implementation of temporary border controls and accelerated returns of unauthorized migrants.

“This shows once again that our measures are working. While others resort to empty slogans and symbolic politics, we have implemented effective measures,” the Social Democrat minister said, criticizing the main opposition Christian Democrats for advancing populist proposals ahead of the Feb. 23 elections to curb irregular migration.

“We have taken concrete action with controls at all German borders and introduced laws that allow faster returns and speed up the asylum process. We are committed to law, order and humanity - in close coordination with our European partners, not against them. We will continue consistently down this path,” she said.

Last week, Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats strongly criticized the opposition Christian Democrats for submitting a motion that called for permanent border controls and the rejection of irregular migrants and asylum seekers at German borders.

The contentious motion narrowly passed parliament on Wednesday with support from the far-right AfD party, drawing criticism that the Christian Democrats had broken their longstanding policy of not cooperating with right-wing extremists.