In a recent interview, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) expressed hope that the number of asylum seekers entering the country will decrease by 100,000 this year, compared to 2024. “After the number of asylum seekers surged in 2022, I made irregular migration a top priority” Scholz told the Funke-Mediengruppe and the French newspaper Ouest-France.
He pointed out that the measures he had ordered, including border controls, led to almost 40,000 individuals being turned away in the past year. “Overall, the number of asylum seekers has decreased by 100,000, which is a third less. And this trend has continued into January” Scholz added. “I hope that the refugee numbers will decline by another 100,000 this year.”
Following the latest violent incident in Munich, perpetrated by an Afghan asylum seeker, Scholz showed willingness to revisit laws. “It’s still too early to know the exact circumstances of the incident and the perpetrator” the Chancellor said. “But every stone must be turned over, so that the authorities can draw the necessary conclusions: the existing laws must be consistently applied and where there are gaps, we must close them.”
Scholz promised to do his best to ensure the safety of carnival processions and other public gatherings. “The police authorities of the federal and state governments are doing everything in their power to ensure the safety of such events” the Chancellor said. Scholz expressed understanding for the sense of unease following the series of attacks. “Every act of violence is one too many, even in a safe country” the SPD politician said. “The horrific acts in Aschaffenburg, Magdeburg, or Solingen shock us all.