Majority of Germans Support Government’s Asylum Immigration Curbs: Survey

A recent survey revealed that a majority of Germans back the federal government’s efforts to limit asylum immigration. According to a poll by YouGov for the German news agency DPA, 53% of respondents fully support Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s aim to decrease the influx of asylum seekers into the country. Additionally, 23% indicated their preference for this policy. Only 15% expressed opposition, while the rest remained undecided. Dobrindt, who assumed office in May, has implemented stricter border controls and approved the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany’s borders, except for vulnerable groups like pregnant women and the seriously ill. He is also pushing for tougher asylum regulations at the EU level, including the establishment of return centers for asylum seekers awaiting deportation to their home countries. Despite these measures, only 8% of those surveyed noted a noticeable shift in migration policy, with 42% perceiving no change at all. The YouGov survey involved over 2,100 eligible voters between December 12 and 15.
In a separate development, authorities in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt state detained a 21-year-old individual suspected of planning an attack on large gatherings. The suspect, described as being from “Central Asia,” was apprehended and is now in police custody awaiting deportation. Tamara Zieschang, the state’s interior minister, disclosed that the suspect entered Germany in 2024 and was undergoing training as a nursing specialist. Authorities began monitoring him due to signs of radicalization, including a keen interest in weapons. In another incident, five individuals were arrested in Bavaria earlier this month on suspicion of plotting a vehicle attack at a Christmas market.