A significant increase in the processing time for asylum applications in Germany has been revealed, with the average duration now extending to 13.1 months – considerably longer than the 8.7 months recorded in the previous year. This information emerged from a parliamentary inquiry by Clara Bünger, a parliamentarian from the Left party and was reported by the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
The Federal Office for Refugees and Migration (BAMF) experienced a notable slowdown between January and July, impacting overall application processing times. A primary cause for this delay is a temporary halt in decisions regarding asylum applications from Syrian refugees. To date, 52,117 applications from Syrian individuals are pending, some awaiting resolution for over eleven months.
While decisions regarding Dublin procedures – those involving clarification of responsibility when asylum seekers enter the EU via another member state – are progressing more efficiently, averaging 2.5 months compared to 2.8 months last year. Administrative court rulings on asylum appeals are also slightly faster, averaging 15 months versus 16.6 months previously.
Clara Bünger has voiced criticism regarding the decision to pause processing Syrian applications, emphasizing the ongoing instability and dangers present within Syria. She advocates for the BAMF to resume decisions on Syrian cases, enabling vulnerable individuals to receive protection sooner. Bünger further stressed the unacceptability of asylum procedures lasting longer than a year, highlighting the urgent need for asylum seekers to be integrated and supported.