According to 2024 statistics, the number of asylum cases pending before German courts has increased significantly. This rise is attributed to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees implementing a new law designed to expedite the processing of pending asylum applications from previous years. As a result, more than 100,000 new asylum applications are being decided, marking a 62% increase compared to 2022.
Rejected asylum seekers appeal the rejection decisions before administrative courts against the Federal Office for Migration. According to a survey published by the journal of the German Association of Judges, German courts received over 100,000 asylum cases last year, while the number of cases in 2023 was less than 72,000. The number of asylum lawsuits has been following an upward trend in recent years, with around 62,000 cases recorded in 2022.
The Conference of German City and Municipal Mayors called for asylum applications to be processed within six months. In response, the government enacted a new law in 2023 aimed at shortening processing times to alleviate the burden on administrative courts and expedite the resolution of pending asylum applications.
In 2024, the processing time for asylum applications varied across German states. Rhineland-Palatinate was the fastest, with procedures taking an average of 4 to 5 months. North Rhine-Westphalia recorded the highest number of processed applications at 19,267, followed by Bavaria with 15,278. Baden-Württemberg saw the largest increase in asylum applications—a 134% rise—reaching 12,755 cases, with an average processing time of 7 to 9 months.
Administrative courts are working to accelerate the processing of appeals. According to Sven Rebehn, Federal Director of the German Association of Judges, “Administrative courts are gradually getting ahead of the wave, and their processing times are decreasing significantly.” However, Rebehn warned about the continued rise in the number of cases and called for an increase in the number of judges to speed up decisions on asylum claims.
Germany Sees Surge in Asylum Cases Pending Before Courts
