Refugees arriving from Syria are highly likely to receive asylum in Germany. In this matter, the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) resorts to so-called quotas. This refers to the proportion of the population from a specific country whose citizens either receive refugee status or are permitted to stay in Germany for another reason.
For Syrians, the quota is nearly 100 percent, and they top the statistical ranking. People brought to Germany directly from refugee camps, for example in Lebanon, as so-called 'contingent refugees' do not have to undergo any bureaucratic procedures for asylum. They are immediately issued a temporary residence permit for humanitarian reasons.
Those arriving from Iraq, where a civil war is raging just as in Syria, also have good chances of recognition (quota according to BAMF is almost 90 percent). The same situation applies to citizens of Eritrea, whose government is considered one of the most repressive in the world (quota almost 80 percent).
Syrians, Eritreans, and members of various religions (Christians, Mandaeans, Yazidis) from Iraq no longer have to explain the reasons for their immigration during a personal interview with a representative of the agency. To expedite the asylum procedure, they can do so in writing. However, there are exceptions. For example, when BAMF has 'reasonable doubts' about the identity of certain asylum seekers, for whom the responsibility for processing status lies not with Germany but with another state. Another case is when individuals 'whose refugee status cannot be determined' are concerned.
The group of countries with medium quotas is quite broad, and the term 'medium' is very relative. Nevertheless, a number of trends can be identified. In each case, the asylum application must be substantiated. Simply coming from one of these countries is not enough to obtain refugee status, even if the situation in that region is considered politically complex or unstable.
At the top of this list is Afghanistan (quota 40 percent), followed by Pakistan (almost 12 percent) and Nigeria (6 percent). Many other countries could also be listed, but since relatively few asylum applications come from them, they are not mentioned separately in the main statistical data.
People arriving from Eastern Balkan countries have almost no chance of receiving asylum in Germany. Nevertheless, citizens of these countries constitute the largest group of asylum applicants. These countries include Albania, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, and Serbia. The German government has already declared the last three states 'safe countries of origin'.
According to the Asylum Procedure Act, 'based on the general political situation, there is a legal presumption that neither political persecution nor inhuman or degrading punishment or treatment occurs there.' Meanwhile, the parties of Angela Merkel's CDU/CSU bloc would gladly also recognize Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro as safe. However, the Green Party stated that because of the persecution of the Roma ethnic minority, this is impossible.
Every EU country has its own similar list. However, the European Commission intends to propose a common list of 'safe countries of origin' for all EU states. It could include all countries with a prospect of EU accession—six Balkan states and Turkey. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker emphasized that citizens of these countries are not 'deprived of the right to asylum in principle.' In Germany, the following rule applies: if citizens of these countries prove that they are persecuted contrary to general assumptions, they may be granted asylum. But their chances are very low, and therefore the probability of deportation is high.
In addition, German authorities consider Ghana and Senegal as 'safe countries.' The EU is also considering adding African countries to the Europe-wide list.