At the same time, however, the figures also show that this low rate does not reflect the situation of all Syrian asylum seekers. This is because decisions have not yet been made on many asylum applications. What does this mean in practice?
Coverage rate dropped from nearly 100 percent to 5.3 percent
According to the federal government, the BAMF approved only 5.3 percent of Syrian asylum applications in 2025. This means that only about five out of every 100 people whose applications were decided upon were granted asylum, refugee status, subsidiary protection, or a ban on deportation. In the previous year, this rate was still nearly 100 percent.
One reason for this sharp decline is the changed situation in Syria following the change of government in Damascus. The German government believes that the security situation in large parts of the country has changed. As a result, the BAMF now assesses many asylum applications differently than it did the previous year.
Significant differences depending on origin and affiliation
The figures also show that a person’s chances of receiving protection depend heavily on which religious or ethnic group they belong to.
In 2025, the following received:
- Yazidis were granted protection in 57.1 percent of cases
- Alawites in about 20 percent of cases
- Christians in about 17 percent of cases
- Drusen in 9.1 percent of cases
The protection rate for Kurdish applicants has also been above average recently. In 2025, it stood at 11.8 percent. In the first months of 2026, it was around 20.5 percent.
One reason for this is that members of certain minority groups continue to report discrimination, violence, or persecution by the new rulers. As a result, the risks they face are often assessed differently in the asylum process than those faced by other applicants.
Many asylum proceedings are currently suspended
An important point: The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) does not currently decide on all asylum applications from Syria —and that is precisely what has a major impact on the statistics.
Following the change in government in December 2024, asylum decisions were initially suspended entirely due to the chaotic situation. It was not until the summer of 2025 that the BAMF gradually resumed processing applications—though only for certain groups, such as criminals and individuals posing a security risk. Since September 2025, decisions have also been made again on applications from young, unaccompanied men of Arab descent and the Sunni faith.
In contrast, many other cases —such as those involving families, women, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups— remain suspended and are not currently being decided.
A spokesperson for the ministry told the Rheinische Post that it is currently unclear when the processing of applications for other groups of people will resume. This also applies to revocation proceedings. In these proceedings, the BAMF assesses whether the conditions for protection continue to be met.
All of this affects the protection rate: it reflects only those cases in which a decision has actually been made —not all pending cases. As a result, the figures primarily reflect groups that have a lower chance of receiving protection in the asylum process, rather than the entire population of asylum seekers from Syria.
What does this mean for Syrian asylum seekers?
At first glance, the low approval rate of 5.3 percent may seem discouraging. However, it is important to note that this does not automatically mean that asylum applications from people in Syria have virtually no chance of success.
A key point is that many proceedings remain suspended at this time. Furthermore, certain groups still have a realistic chance of receiving protection. These include, in particular, members of religious or ethnic minorities, as well as individuals who can credibly demonstrate that they have been persecuted.
As a general rule, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) reviews each asylum application on a case-by-case basis. This means that asylum applications are not rejected across the board. Rather, the decision depends on the individual’s specific circumstances and the concrete grounds for protection that are cited.
