A surge in church asylum requests!
Germany witnessed a significant increase in the number of migrants who obtained church asylum in 2024, according to a report by the German newspaper "Bild" based on data from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf). The number of cases reached 2,386, an increase of more than 300 cases compared to the previous year. The data indicates that most of these cases relate to what are known as "Dublin cases," meaning migrants who entered Germany from safe European countries.
Refugees who receive protection from the church are often threatened with deportation, but church asylum delays the implementation of deportation decisions or sometimes completely prevents them, raising legal and ethical controversy. An immigration officer – speaking anonymously – stated that access to these individuals becomes nearly impossible, and legal deportation decisions are suspended for months.
The controversy has intensified recently after the case of three Somali migrants who attempted to enter Germany via Poland gained prominence, and they managed to legally challenge their deportation decision. According to "Bild", they are currently living in an evangelical church and may receive church asylum.
The Protestant bishop in Berlin, Christian Stäblein, who met with the three migrants, defended the church's position and considered church asylum "a service to the community that reminds it of the essence of mercy."
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