Berlin, – The number of migrants seeking humanitarian protection in Germany has over doubled between 2014 and 2016, an official figures published on Thursday by the Federal Statistical Office said.
The Wiesbaden-based government statisticians measured 1.6 million individuals in 2016, an increase of 851,000 or 113 per cent compared to 2014.
“The figure now accounted for 16 per cent of the foreign population in Germany.
“The official term “migrants seeking humanitarian protection” encompasses individuals who are currently in the process of applying for asylum.
“Also individuals who have either already been recognised as refugees according to the Geneva Convention or have been granted subsidiary protection.
“As well as foreign nationals who have failed to obtain asylum but remain in Germany,’’ a statement by the Federal Statistical Office noted.
According to the available data, 872,000 or 54 per cent of migrants seeking protection in Germany had been granted some form of humanitarian aid by the government.
In most cases, this right to residence was temporarily-limited, while 158,000 applications for asylum were rejected.
While these individuals were formally duty-bound to leave the country, 75 per cent of failed asylum seekers had still been able to postpone their departure from Germany as “officially tolerated” migrants.
The number of individuals awaiting a decision on their application for asylum was put by the Federal Statistical Office at 573,000.
However, a further 392,000 foreign nationals had to be excluded from the measurements of the government statisticians because their status remained unclear. (Xinhua/NAN)