Church Asylum in Germany Plummets After Years of Growth in 2025
The number of people granted church asylum in Germany has dropped sharply in 2025. Between January and November, only 2,139 individuals received sanctuary, down from 2,966 in the whole of 2024. This marks the first decline after four straight years of rising figures.
Church asylum cases in Germany are closely tied to the Dublin regulations, where asylum seekers are often assigned to another EU country. In 2025, most cases blocked transfers to Bulgaria, Croatia, and Poland.
The overall drop in church asylum reflects a wider decrease in asylum applications across Germany. By the end of November 2025, authorities had sent 33,845 transfer requests to other EU states—about half the number from the same period in 2024. Border pushbacks have also played a role, reducing the number of Dublin cases handled by Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Matthias Bangert, spokesperson for the Ecumenical Federal Working Group on Church Asylum, noted the shift in 2025.
The decline in church asylum cases follows years of steady increases. Fewer transfers and stricter border controls have contributed to the change. The trend aligns with broader reductions in asylum claims across Germany this year.
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