German asylum appeals taking longer again
German administrative courts took an average of 15.3 months in the first half of 2026 to hear cases against asylum decisions.
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Asylum seekers in Germany are once again waiting longer for a court assessment of their protection status. In the first half of 2026, appeals against decisions by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees averaged 15.3 months.
The figure comes from a German government response to questions from opposition party Die Linke. This reverses the decline of recent years. In 2024, proceedings took an average of 16.7 months, while for the whole of 2025 the government previously reported 14.3 months, with December’s figures missing.
The differences between federal states are substantial. In Saxony, proceedings took an average of 20.4 months in the first half of 2026. In Rhineland-Palatinate, the figure was 9.2 months. According to the government, the duration is linked partly to the number of cases and the complexity of applications from certain countries of origin.
On 15 August, 196,315 asylum appeals were pending in Germany. These are cases in which people are challenging a decision by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. As long as proceedings continue, uncertainty about residence, accommodation, work and family life may persist, although the legal consequences vary from case to case.
Clara Bünger, a Die Linke member of parliament, points out that in 2025 more applications from countries whose human rights situation had, in her view, deteriorated were rejected. Tagesschau cites Iran, Russia, Afghanistan and Turkey as examples. The claim that around half of the Iranian asylum decisions reviewed were corrected by judges comes from her explanation and is not further broken down in the parliamentary summary consulted.
The German government and the judiciary therefore face two problems at once: the overall backlog must be reduced, but cases must not be processed without sufficient individual assessment. The Bundestag reported that in the first six months of 2026, 38.7 per cent of substantive BAMF decisions resulted in some form of protection. That figure concerns administrative decisions and does not directly reflect the outcome of court cases.
The development is relevant to Dutch readers because Germany is an important destination and neighbouring country within the European asylum system. Lengthy proceedings can place pressure on accommodation, local authorities and cooperation between European countries. At the same time, the regional differences show that the national average does not describe how every case unfolds.
The figures do not explain why each individual proceeding takes longer and do not constitute a judgement on the correctness of asylum decisions. They do show that Germany’s ambition to speed up proceedings has not yet been achieved everywhere. The next measurement points should clarify whether the increase is temporary or the beginning of a new trend.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- German asylum appeals took an average of 15.3 months in the first half of 2026.
- There were 196,315 cases pending on 15 August.
- The regional average duration ranged from 9.2 to 20.4 months.
- According to the Bundestag, the protection rate for BAMF decisions was 38.7 per cent.
Left
Arguments The figures show that people remain in uncertainty for too long and that courts, legal aid and accommodation capacity need to be expanded. Careful individual assessment should take precedence over rapid processing, particularly for countries where the situation is deteriorating.
Values Emphasis on human rights, legal protection and access to a fair procedure.
Consequences Greater capacity costs public money, but can limit mistakes, prolonged uncertainty and subsequent remedial proceedings.
Centre
Arguments Germany must both clear the backlog and safeguard the quality of decisions. Targeted specialisation, better data exchange and temporary additional judges could help without imposing one general solution on all federal states.
Values Emphasis on feasibility, equal treatment and institutional reliability.
Consequences A regional approach may deliver results more quickly, but requires ongoing coordination and oversight of differences.
Right
Arguments Proceedings lasting more than fifteen months undermine the credibility of the asylum system and make departure after rejection more difficult. The government should process cases with little prospect of success more quickly, deploy capacity more purposefully and limit abuse of proceedings.
Values Emphasis on order, predictability, enforcement and control of public spending.
Consequences Faster processing can reduce the backlog, but stricter selection can lead to new legal disputes and mistakes.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The figures were confirmed by Tagesschau, BR24 and the German Bundestag. The text makes clear which figures concern BAMF decisions and which concern court cases.
- confirmed Asylum appeals took an average of 15.3 months in the first half of 2026. — This figure appears in Tagesschau and BR24, based on a government response. source
- confirmed The average duration was 16.7 months in 2024 and 14.3 months in 2025. — Tagesschau gives both comparative figures and notes the limitation of the 2025 data. source
- confirmed Saxony recorded an average duration of 20.4 months and Rhineland-Palatinate 9.2 months. — These regional figures appear in Tagesschau. source
- confirmed There were 196,315 asylum appeals pending on 15 August. — Tagesschau gives this number and reference date. source
- confirmed Germany’s protection rate for BAMF decisions was 38.7 per cent in the first half of 2026. — This appears in the parliamentary report by the German Bundestag. source
Editor's note
The average duration, regional differences, pending cases and protection rate were taken from German public sources. The separate claim about corrections to Iranian decisions is attributed to Clara Bünger and was not used as an independently established fact.Sources
- Schutzstatus in Deutschland: Asylklagen dauern wieder länger — Tagesschau
- Asylklageverfahren dauern länger — BR24
- Asylentscheidungen des Bamf im ersten Halbjahr 2026 — Deutscher Bundestag