Number of Georgian asylum seekers in Germany dramatically decreases
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The number of Georgian citizens seeking asylum in Germany has decreased dramatically in May, compared to the previous data, the statistics from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees of Germany has revealed.
The recently released data show that in May 2018, 176 Georgian citizens asked for asylum in Germany, while the figure in April was up to 700.
Over the past five months 2,263 Georgian citizens asked for asylum in Germany, which makes for 3,3 percent of all requests for asylum status in the country.
In total 68,368 foreign nationals have asked for asylum in Germany between January and May.
Most of the asylum seekers in Germany are from Syria - 17,585; Iraq - 6,900 and Niger - 4,794.
The decreased number of Georgian asylum seekers means fewer problems for the Georgia-EU visa free agreement signed in March 2017.
Georgian Interior Minister has discussed steps taken by Georgia towards reducing asylum seekers from the country with his German colleague Horst Seehofer pointing out that there is a positive dynamic in terms of a decrease in their number.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told Deutsche Welle that Germany intends to add Georgia and Armenia to the list of safe countries, which means that no one from those countries will receive asylum in Germany.According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees of Germany, 3,462 citizens of Georgia and 3,857 citizens of Armenia applied for asylum in Germany last year.
Germany is discussing the issue of listing Georgia in the category of safe countries, Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced.
The government of Georgia has announced changes in the law that will introduce tougher sanctions against Georgian citizens violating the Georgia-EU visa-free travel agreement.The announcement came after today’s special meeting at the government of Georgia headquarters.
The number of Georgian citizens seeking asylum in EU member states has significantly decreased, the Chair of the Committee on European Integration of the Georgian Parliament Tamar Khulordava said.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that threats coming from the possibility of Georgian asylum seekers cooperating with members of organised crime have been ‘neutralised’ as the result of ‘effective cooperation’ with the country’s European partners.
The new format was announced by PM Bakhtadze last month. The format will entail a meeting between the Georgian PM and EU President once a year to assess the progress made by Georgia on its way to the EU and involve different ministers upon necessity.
German and Georgian officials believe that putting Georgia on the list will decrease the number of Georgian asylum seekers in Germany, as well as the illegal stay of Georgians in the country, which may create threats to the Georgia-EU visa waiver.
Representative of the International Organization for Migration Marc Hulst says that the number of Georgian asylum seekers in the EU member states is decreasing, which benefits the Georgian-EU visa waiver agreed upon last year.
The German Bundestag has declared Georgia a safe country on January 18, meaning that Georgians will not be eligible to seek asylum in Germany.
2,163 Georgian citizens have requested asylum in Germany between January and August 2021, making for a total five percent of applications, Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) says.