Eurostat: Germany grants migrants the most protection

Of the 333 400 asylum seekers who were recognized as eligible for protection in 2018, 139 600 were granted this special residence permit in Germany, according to the European statistics office Eurostat.

That figure is about 42 percent (2017: 61 percent). It is followed by Italy with 14 percent and France with 12 percent. Nearly 70 percent of all Syrian asylum seekers registered in Europe (67 000) received their recognition in Germany.

Syrians remain the largest group with 96 100 recognitions in the EU. This is followed by Afghans and Iraqis.

Overall, however, the number of recognitions in 2018 was down on the previous year (533 000). Across the EU, the recognition rate was 37 percent in the first-instance and 38 percent after the appeal negotiations.

In Germany, this proportion was 42 and 43 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, every third foreigner who wants to move to his spouse to Germany, fails at the German proficiency test. Last year, 16 198 spouses did not pass the exam, the Funke-Mediengruppe reported, citing the German government’s response to a request from the Left Party.

Some 48 130 persons sat for the German exam in their respective home countries in 2018. While the German government has noted a failure rate that has remained constant at one-third since 2016, the number of persons examined to date from the then 37 840 spouses, has risen significantly.

Required to pass is a mere “simple language skills” exam in order to go shopping in Germany or to ask for directions. Excluded from the test however are wives and husbands from the US, Israel and the EU. Spouses of highly qualified, recognised refugees are not required to take the test either.

Especially in Iraq, the failure rate is particularly high. According to the Federal Government, only 722 people passed the test of the 1 626 who sat for the examinations.