In 2024, around 250,945 asylum applications were submitted in Germany, which was a significant decrease compared with the previous year. Numbers were highest in 2016. The most asylum applications came from citizens of Syria, Afghanistan and Turkey.

Refugees are people who are recognized as refugees under the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol, the 1969 Organization of African Unity Convention Governing the Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems in Africa, people recognized as refugees in accordance with the UNHCR statute, people granted refugee-like humanitarian status, and people provided temporary protection. Asylum seekers--people who have applied for asylum or refugee status and who have not yet received a decision or who are registered as asylum seekers--are excluded. Palestinian refugees are people (and their descendants) whose residence was Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948 and who lost their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict. Country of asylum is the country where an asylum claim was filed and granted.

In 2023, around 1.93 million people immigrated to Germany. Numbers fluctuated during the time period covered in the graph at hand, peaking in 2015 during the high point of Europe’s refugee crisis. Significantly lower figures in 2020 may be attributed to the first year of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and subsequent restrictions implemented by the German government on entering the country, in order to control the spread of the disease. Immigration to Germany “Immigrant” is a term used from the point of view of the receiving country, or the country being migrated to by a person. While reasons for and circumstances leading to an immigrant entering a foreign country may vary, they often include love, include seeking residence, employment, family reunions, or applying for asylum. Various countries are represented among foreigners living in Germany, though currently the leading three by numbers are Turkey, Ukraine, and Syria. Around 5.2 million immigrants living in Germany do not need a residence permit due to having EU citizenship, and therefore being allowed freedom of movement based on EU law. Another 2.64 million immigrants were granted an unlimited permit to stay in Germany. The near future Germany remains a popular choice for immigrants, even in currently challenging economic and political times. Welfare benefits, healthcare, and various support initiatives for those moving to or arriving in the country are on the list of selling points, though in practice, difficulties may be encountered depending on individual situations and laws in different German federal states. While the unemployment rate among foreigners living in Germany had gone up in 2020, it dropped again in the following years, but increased once more in 2023 and 2024 to over 16 percent. The country is Europe’s largest economy, housing many global players in various industries, which continues to attract jobseekers, despite these very industries facing struggles of their own brought on both by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical events in Europe.

In 2023, the federal government's costs for refugees and asylum in Germany totaled around 29.7 billion euros. The largest cost item was social transfer payments following asylum procedures at 11.8 billion euros. In the following years, refugee costs are expected to fall to around 23.2 billion euros in 2027 and only rise again to 24.5 billion euros in 2028.

Questions about the situation of refugees in Germany. Topics: concern that so many refugees are coming to Germany (split A, since November 2016 split B: are in Germany); short-term and long-term forecast of the advantages or disadvantages for Germany as a result of the refugees: the federal government has tended to move forward or rather not made progress in tackling the refugee crisis (split C, since November 2016 split B: coping with the refugee situation); the federal government makes more or less progress in the integration of refugees (October, Split D). Demography: sex; age; highest educational degree; employment status; household size; number of persons in the household under 14 years; party preference; eligible to vote; household income; survey by mobile phone or landline phone. Additionally coded was: ID; week / wave; weighting factor; date of interview; size of location (BIK regions); federal state; survey area west / east. Fragen zur Flüchtlingssituation in Deutschland 2016. Themen: Besorgnis darüber, dass so viele Flüchtlinge nach Deutschland kommen (Split A; seit November 2016 Split B: in Deutschland sind); kurzfristige und langfristige Prognose hinsichtlich der Vorteile oder Nachteile für Deutschland durch die Aufnahme von Flüchtlingen; Bundesregierung kommt bei der Bewältigung der Flüchtlingskrise (Split C; seit November 2016 Split B: Bewältigung der Flüchtlingssituation) eher voran oder eher nicht voran; Bundesregierung kommt bei der Integration der Flüchtlinge eher voran oder eher nicht voran (Oktober, Split D). Demographie: Geschlecht; Alter; höchster Bildungsabschluss; Berufstätigkeit; Haushaltsgröße; Anzahl der Personen im Haushalt unter 14 Jahren; Parteipräferenz; Wahlberechtigung; Haushaltsnettoeinkommen; Erhebung per Mobilfunk oder Festnetz. Zusätzlich verkodet wurde: Kalenderwoche/Welle; laufende Befragtennummer; Gewichtungsfaktor; Interviewdatum; Ortsgröße (BIK-Regionen); Bundesland; Befragungsgebiet West/Ost. Probability Sample: Multistage Sample Wahrscheinlichkeitsauswahl: Mehrstufige Zufallsauswahl Telephone interview: CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interview)

Since the 1950s, the number of forcibly displaced persons recognized by the United Nations has increased drastically; from around 2.1 million international refugees in 1951 to almost 123 million displaced persons in total in 2023. Annual figures are not reflective of the actual number of forcibly displaced people in the world, but rather the number of people identified as such by the UN. Preliminary figures for 2024 show that this figure may now reach the 125 million mark, with major new crises in Sudan and Palestine sending this figure higher, after the Russia-Ukraine War pushed this figure past 100 million people for the first time in 2022. UNHCR The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was founded in 1950 to deal with the large number of displaced persons in Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. Since then, the scale and geographical scope of its operations has broadened significantly, as it works to provide humanitarian aid, logistical support, and long-term solutions to crises across the globe. The UNHCR played an instrumental role in facilitating or limiting the impact of many decolonization movements across Africa and Asia in the late 20th century, and, in recent decades, it has provided much-needed assistance in conflict areas, such as the Balkans in the 1990s, Afghanistan since the 2000s, and more recently in Syria and Yemen. Alongside the UNHCR, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was established in 1949 to provide similar assistance programs for Palestinian refugees and their descendants, and it is currently operational in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the State of Palestine, but its future remains uncertain after the Israeli parliament revoked its license to operate in the country in October 2024. Long-term crises Persistent instability in Sub-Saharan Africa has also been a major area of focus throughout the UNHCR's history, as economic and structural underdevelopment, alongside conflict and political instability, has created several refugee crises that are now in their fourth decade. While countries such as Colombia, Germany, and Turkey have, to varying degrees, successfully managed refugee crises in recent years, the economies of most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa are not equipped to do so. Displacement has placed a great strain on several regions' already-struggling resources, and these are now also being affected by climate change. Countries such as Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda are home to camps or camp networks that house several hundred thousand refugees, with some of the largest in Kenya being established in the early 1990s.

The total number of refugees in France has gradually increased for more than ten years. Since the 20th century, France has been considered an important host country for immigrants. During the past century, the country welcomed political refugees, immigrants from other European nations, and immigrants from the former French territories in Africa. The distribution of refugees in France and Europe More recently, the refugee crisis has partly shaped immigration in France. In 2023, there were 142,496 asylum applications in the country, compared to nearly 42,600 in 2008. Since 2015, the European Union (EU) has implemented the Relocation Scheme, which transfers persons needing international protection from one Member State to another. With most immigrants using the Mediterranean Route to reach Europe, France relocated 5,035 refugees from Greece and Italy in 2018, while Germany keeps being the European country to host most refugees in Europe. Refugees worldwide Migration is a common challenge for the members of the EU. But it is also a worldwide phenomenon. In 2023, Iran was the largest refugee-hosting country with more than 3.4 million refugees. The number of refugees worldwide, whether internally displaced persons or not, has increased since 2013. Ten years later, in 2023, the situation of countries such as South Sudan or Afghanistan has forced millions of people to flee and seek refuge elsewhere.

Under what circumstances do first‐time radical‐right party (RRP) voters become more identified with the right‐wing label? Also, when do they perceive the center‐right party as more left wing and evaluate it more negatively? To answer these two intertwined questions, this article leverages the dynamic political context of Germany during the 2013–17 election cycle. In this election cycle, the political arena became abruptly polarized, as the refugee crisis took place and the Alternative for Germany (AfD) broke into 13 subnational parliaments. Using a unique longitudinal dataset, I find that first‐time AfD voters experienced a persuasion effect in such a polarized environment, as they became slightly more right wing. In addition, I find a contrast effect among these voters, as they came to perceive the Christian Democratic Union as more left wing and judged it more negatively. These findings have important implications for understanding the psychological processes of first‐time RRP voters in a multiparty system, as they show how a polarized environment can shape RRP voters' ideological identity and motivate them to see the mainstream center‐right party as an outgroup.

In 2024, Turkey was the country that hosted the highest amount of Syrian refugees, amounting up to 3.1 million refugees. Lebanon was second, hosting 775,000 Syrian refugees. The data refers to the total number of Syrian refugees in a given country, not considering the date of their application for asylum or the date of their flight.

The United States hosted, by far, the highest number of immigrants in the world in 2020. That year, there were over 50 million people born outside of the States residing in the country. Germany and Saudi Arabia followed behind at around 16 and 13 million, respectively. There are varying reasons for people to emigrate from their country of origin, from poverty and unemployment to war and persecution. American Migration People migrate to the United States for a variety of reasons, from job and educational opportunities to family reunification. Overall, in 2021, most people that became legal residents of the United States did so for family reunification purposes, totaling 385,396 people that year. An additional 193,338 people became legal residents through employment opportunities. In terms of naturalized citizenship, 113,269 people from Mexico became naturalized American citizens in 2021, followed by people from India, the Philippines, Cuba, and China. German Migration Behind the United States, Germany also has a significant migrant population. Migration to Germany increased during the mid-2010's, in light of the Syrian Civil War and refugee crisis, and during the 2020’s, in light of conflict in Afghanistan and Ukraine. Moreover, as German society continues to age, there are less workers in the labor market. In a low-migration scenario, Germany will have 37.2 million skilled workers by 2040, compared to 39.1 million by 2040 in a high-migration scenario. In both scenarios, this is still a decrease from 43.5 skilled workers in 2020.

The DACH region refers to the Central European area of Germany (D), Austria (A), and Switzerland (CH). In 2023, these countries had a combined population of 102.4 million people. Germany is, by far, the largest of the three countries, with a population of more than 84.51 million; almost ten times larger than those of Austria or Switzerland. Growth rates However, population growth across the region has been relatively slow during the past two decades, with Germany's population growing by fewer than two million since 2000, which is an increase of just two percent. In contrast, Austria's population has grown by roughly 12 percent, while Switzerland's has increased by over 20 percent, but the overall change in the DACH region's population is less than five percent due to the disproportionate amount of people in Germany. Migration The reason for low population growth is due to the historically low birth rates in Germany. Since 1972, Germany's death rate has consistently exceeded its birth rate, giving an overall natural decline. Austria and Switzerland have also experienced similar trends in some years, but generally see a natural increase. Because of this, population growth is often dependent on migration. The most significant rise in the DACH area's population came in around 2015, during the Syrian migrant crisis. In Europe, Germany took in the largest number of Syrian refugees during this period, while Austria had one of the highest acceptance rates in proportion to its population. This is in addition to the relatively high number of refugees Germany and Austria accept from other countries, especially Afghanistan. Not all migrants are refugees, however, as the high living standards in all three countries attract large numbers of economic migrants from the rest of the world, especially Southern and Eastern Europe.

The Politbarometer has been conducted since 1977 on an almost monthly basis by the Forschungsgruppe Wahlen on behalf of the Second German Television (ZDF). Since 1990, this database has also been available for the new German states. The survey focuses on the opinions and attitudes of the voting-age population in the Federal Republic on current political issues, parties, politicians, and voting behavior. From 1990 to 1995 and from 1999 onward, the Politbarometer surveys were conducted separately both in the newly formed eastern and in the western German states (Politbarometer East and Politbarometer West). The separate monthly surveys of a year are integrated into a cumulative data set that includes all surveys of a year and all variables of the respective year. Starting in 2003, the Politbarometer short surveys, collected with varying frequency throughout the year, are integrated into the annual cumulation.
Most important political problems in Germany; intention to vote in the next Bundestag election and party preference (Sunday question and party rank); voting behaviour in the last Bundestag election; coalition preference; assessment of a grand coalition; assessment of a coalition of CDU/CSU and Grünen, of CDU and FDP, of CDU/CSU and AfD, of SPD and Grünen as well as of SPD, Die Linke and Grünen; sympathy scale for the parties CDU, CSU, SPD, Die Linke, Grüne, FDP and AfD; satisfaction scale for the federal government of CDU/CSU and SPD as well as for the respective government parties and the opposition parties Die Linke and Grüne; most important politicians in Germany; sympathy scale for selected top politicians (Ursula von der Leyen, Peter Altmaier, Wolfgang Bosbach, Sigmar Gabriel, Gregor Gysi, Thomas de Maizière, Angela Merkel, Andrea Nahles, Cem Özdemir, Winfried Kretschmann, Wolfgang Schäuble, Manuela Schwesig, Horst Seehofer, Peer Steinbrück, Hannelore Kraft, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Sarah Wagenknecht and Joachim Gauck); satisfaction with democracy; political interest; disagreement of CDU, CSU, SPD, Greens, Die Linke, FDP, AfD and Union on important political issues; satisfaction with the social market economy in Germany; assessment of the current economic situation in the country; most suitable party to solve the economic problems in the country; assessment of the current personal economic situation and expected economic situation in the coming year; expected upward development in Germany (economic expectations); improvement of the personal situation by the upswing of the economy in the country; most competent party for the creation of jobs, in the areas of social policy, social justice and foreigner policy; expected long-term success of the AfD; voting for the AfD because of political contents or because of dissatisfaction with other parties; left-right assessment of the AfD; assessment of the demarcation of the AfD against right-wing extremists; expected break-up of the AfD in the dispute over leadership and political content; expected entry of the AfD into the Bundestag; opinion as to whether the FDP is still needed as a party; expected entry of the FDP into the Bundestag; rather advantages or disadvantages for the German population due to the country´s EU membership; importance of Britain´s EU membership; assessment of the introduction of the euro; expected benefits of the euro as a common currency; expected long-term success of the euro; expected rapid resolution of the euro crisis; expected intensification of the euro crisis; Greece crisis: support for Greece´s participation in the euro; opinion on a third aid package for Greece; assessment of further debt relief for Greece; call for compliance with agreed EU savings targets; expected effective fight against tax evasion by Greek government; assessment of the economic situation in Greece; Greece is overburdened by the austerity programme; opinion on further financial support for Greece despite lack of reforms; expected implementation of the austerity measures by the Greek government; assessment of the behaviour of the Greek government as serious; expected extent of damage to the German economy due to Greece´s bankruptcy; consequences of the Greek crisis as a threat to the continued existence of the EU; financial compensation of Greece for the German Nazi crimes; assessment of the relations between Germany and Greece and expected development of the relations between both countries; evaluation of the EU policy to solve the financial crisis of Greece; expected rejection of the reform measures by the Greeks in the referendum; prevention of a national bankruptcy of Greece by reached agreements; assessment of the work of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel as a whole and in relation to the euro crisis and the refugee crisis; assessment of the work of Finance Minister Wolfgang Schäuble in relation to the euro crisis; assessment of the work of Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière in the area of refugees and asylum; assessment of Horst Seehofer´s...

According to the report from the German Institute of Economics, from 2020 to 2040 there will be a decrease in the number of available workers. In 2020, there were 43.5 million people able to work but by 2040, this figure is predicted to decline to 38 million. These projections are based on average immigration figures.

Until 2016, Sweden had among the most generous asylum laws within the European Union. As a result, the immigration increased for several years, reaching 163,000 immigrants in 2016. During 2016, Sweden sharpened their asylum laws, and the number of immigrants started to decline. In 2020, also as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of immigrants in Sweden fell to 82,500, before increasing slightly again in 2021 and 2022. Over the last years, there was also a decline in the number of asylum grants in Sweden.

Large inflow of refugees

The so-called refugee crisis in the European Union that started in 2015 was characterized by a large inflow of refugees from non-European countries, mainly traversing the Mediterranean Sea in order to reach the European Union. In regards to the immigration trends to Sweden, one of the biggest groups in the last years consisted of Swedes returning to Sweden. Further countries that were among the top countries of origin in the latest years, were India, Syria, Germany, and Poland.

Decline in asylum grants in the European Union

Sweden is not the only country that sharpened the rules for asylum grants in 2016, it has been observed within the whole European Union. Since the end of 2016, there has been a significant decline in the number of accepted first instance asylum applications within the European Union.

The past two years have seen Germany's population fall, with 2025's drop projected to be the second largest decrease since 1950. The largest single-year increase came in 2015, in the midst of the Syrian refugee crisis, where over one million Syrians eventually settled in Germany.

In 2023, it was estimated that 3,105 migrants died while crossings the Mediterranean Sea. As of 2024, 2,333 casualties were recorded. However, the accurate number of deaths recorded in the Mediterranean Sea cannot be ascertained. Between 2014 and 2018, for instance, about 12,000 people who drowned were never found. Casualties and missing people Worldwide, it was estimated that 8,000 people died in the attempt to flee their country. According to estimations, over 5,000 refugees lost their lives in the attempt to reach the European shores in 2016. Therefore, the Mediterranean Sea was the deadliest migration route. Indeed, over the last couple of years, the Mediterranean Sea held the largest number of casualties and missing people. Western, Central, and Eastern route According to migration studies, the Mediterranean Sea is crossed by a Western, a Central, and an Eastern route. Out of these routes, the Central Mediterranean route was the deadliest. In 2016, roughly 4,600 people lost their lives while pursuing this route. The identification of bodies is challenging due to the sea. In 2019, for instance, the vast majority of refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean Sea were not identified and their country of origin untraceable.

Even though Spain has been losing its nationals for most of the last decade, the inflow migration figures of the Mediterranean country saw an increase over the last few years. The year 2022 was the second year after 2020 in which the migration inflow fell compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, the population of Spain has been growing for many years and was projected to increase by one million by 2027.

A matter of balance The net migration rate of Spain changed its course mainly due to the great inflow of foreigners that move to reside in the Mediterranean country. Spain’s immigration flow slowed down after the 2008 financial crisis, albeit the number of foreigners that opted to change their residence saw a significant growth in the last years. In 2022, Colombians ranked first as the foreign nationality that most relocated to Spain, distantly followed by Moroccans and Ukrainians.

Spain does not have the highest number of immigrants in Europe In recent years, the European Union confronted a rising number of refugees arriving from the Middle East. Migration figures show that Germany accommodated approximately 15 million foreign-born citizens, ranking it as the country that most hosted immigrants in Europe in 2022. By comparison, Spain’s foreign population stood over seven million, positioning the Western Mediterranean country third on the European list of foreign-born population. Unfortunately, thousands of persons have died ore gone missing trying to reach Spanish territory, as more and more irregular migrants opt to use dangerous maritime routes to arrive at Southern Europe from Africa's coasts.

Colombia ranked as the country of origin of the largest immigration group arriving into Spain in 2023, as revealed by the latest data. Over 170,000 people migrated from the South American country to Spain that year. The second largest group was comprised by Moroccans with around 122,000 newcomers. A matter of balance The net migration rate of Spain changed its course mainly due to the great inflow of foreigners that move to reside in the Mediterranean country. Spain’s immigration flow slowed down after the 2008 financial crisis, albeit the number of foreigners that opted to change their residence saw a significant growth in the last years. In 2023, Moroccans ranked first as the foreign nationality residing Spain, followed by people from Romania and the Colombians. Spain does not have the highest number of immigrants in Europe In recent years, the European Union confronted a rising number of refugees arriving from the Middle East and Africa. Migration figures show that Germany accommodated approximately 15 million foreign-born citizens, ranking it as the country that most hosted immigrants in Europe in 2023. By comparison, Spain’s foreign population stood over eight million, positioning the Western Mediterranean country third on the European list of foreign-born population. Unfortunately, thousands of persons have died or gone missing trying to reach Spanish territory, as more and more irregular migrants opt to use dangerous maritime routes to arrive at Southern Europe from Africa's coasts.

Euroscepticism - the political position which opposes the European Union - has been on the rise across Europe since the turn of the millennium. Nowhere has this been more true than on the populist right of the political spectrum, where a number of parties and movements have capitalized on dissatisfaction with the EU to win votes and, in some cases, to enter into government. Fidesz, the party of current Hungarian prime minister Vikor Orbán, has been the most successful right-wing eurosceptic party over the past twenty years, with the party regularly winning over half of the vote and governing the country for the past 14 years. Law and Justice (known as PiS in Polish) of Poland has seen similar success over this period, with the governments led by the party from 2015 to 2023 working in close alliance with Orbán's Hungary to block EU legislation, particularly regarding migration policy. PiS were defeated in the 2023 Polish parliamentary election, with a government being formed instead by former European Council President Donald Tusk. The rise of the right in Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and France Lega and Brothers of Italy have seen their support rise sharply in Italy in the latter half of the 2010s, with Lega being intermittently in the governing coalition between 2018 and 2022, with the party governing in a coalition with Brothers of Italy since the 2022 Italian general election. At that election, Brothers of Italy came out as the largest party, with their leader Giorgia Meloni subsequently becoming Prime Minister of Italy. Of the other successful right-wing eurosceptic parties, the Sweden Democrats, while not an official part of the current government in Sweden, have a confidence and supply agreement with the governing parties, meaning that they hold significant influence on the government in that country. The PVV (Party for Freedom) in the Netherlands came out as the largest party in the 2023 Dutch General Election, with 23.49 percent of the vote, although as of January 2024, a government has yet to be formed in the country. The National Rally party in France has captured increasing shares of the vote in European and French parliamentary elections since 2000, while their candidates for the French presidency have even bettered this, with Marine Le Pen winning 41.5 percent of the vote in the second round in 2022, a dramatic increase from her father's, Jean-Marie Le Pen, result twenty years prior, when he received just 18 percent of the vote in the second round of the presidential election. Germany and Spain have smaller far-right eurosceptic parties, but they are growing Vox, the largest eurosceptic party in Spain, has also seen its fortunes rise in the latter half of the 2010s, as the party achieved its best ever result in the Spanish parliamentary election of November 2019 when it achieved 15 percent of the vote. Since then, Vox slightly lost ground and only achieved 12.4 percent of the vote in the 2023 Spanish election. The Alternative for Germany, a party which was founded in 2013 to oppose the Euro currency and the bailouts by EU institutions following the Eurozone debt crisis, has grown into a considerable force in German politics. The party underwent a shift away from its focus on European economic policy and towards a hardline anti-immigration stance following the 2015 Syrian refugee crisis. While the party achieved only 10 percent of the vote in the 2021 German parliament election, down from its high of almost 13 percent in 2017, the party rose dramatically in opinion polls during 2022 and 2023, with the AfD now forecast to be the second-largest party in the German parliament after the next election in 2025.

In 2023, it was estimated that more than four million Brazilians were living outside Brazil. The United States had the largest community, with over two million Brazilian citizens. Portugal was the second country with the largest Brazilian community, namely 513,000 citizens. Brazilians abroad The Brazilian community sought economic opportunities in the United States in the 1980s, leading to the establishment of communities in New York and Boston. Facilitated by the common language and Portugal's favorable laws for the Community of Portuguese-speaking countries, Lisbon became the most popular destination in Europe. This city harbors more than 77,000 Brazilians, with women making up the majority of these. Immigration in Brazil Although more than four million Brazilians live outside of Brazil, the country has had a positive migration rate since 2010, meaning that more people are arriving than leaving. One factor contributing to this is the current humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, which has increased the number of refugees arriving in Brazil each year.