Germany has temporarily suspended the acceptance of new refugees under the resettlement programs, according to Handelsblatt.

Temporary halt on refugee resettlement

The German Interior Ministry and the UN Refugee Agency have confirmed that due to ongoing coalition negotiations among parties, new commitments to accept refugees will not be made.

According to dpa reports, only cases nearing completion will be exempt from this suspension.

Previously, the parties decided to significantly limit voluntary federal refugee acceptance programs and refrain from initiating new ones.

Germany committed to providing 13,100 places for refugees during 2024 and 2025 as part of its obligations to the Agency and the European Commission.

Currently, the UNHCR reports that 5,061 individuals have arrived in the country under this program, including the humanitarian reception of Syrian refugees from Turkey, as agreed upon by the EU and Turkey in 2016.

The UNHCR proposes candidates needing special protection for acceptance by host countries.

Subsequently, German officials conduct interviews and security checks directly on-site.

Additionally, Germany has other humanitarian programs in place for accepting refugees.

Germany Loses Leadership in EU Asylum Applications

For the first time in a long while, Germany is no longer the leading EU country for asylum applications; France now holds that position.

In the first quarter of 2025, the number of asylum applications in Germany dropped significantly to 37,387, reflecting a 41% decrease compared to the same period last year.