Germany’s interior ministry has said that it is observing the increasing number of asylum seekers from the Republic of Moldova coming to Germany with concern, especially in the capital, Berlin.
A letter sent by interior ministry state secretary Helmut Teichmann to Berlin's senator for integration, Elke Breitenbach, at the beginning of September expressed concern that "Berlin accounts for a conspicuously high proportion of the initial and subsequent applications submitted by Moldovans nationwide, at around 80%."
The letter also underscored the fact that in over 1,500 asylum decisions taken by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) involving Moldovan nationals this year, not a single case of international protection or even a ban on deportation was recognized. Furthermore, the state secretary referred to the nature of this development as "explosive."
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Benefit abuse as motive
The document went on to say that abuse of the asylum system by migrants who are not in need of protection is an issue that should not be underestimated "in terms of its importance for the acceptance (of migrants and refugees) in society as a whole."
Teichmann implied in the letter that the main incentive for the migration movement could be financial: He said that any welfare benefits paid to asylum seekers in Germany should only be paid one month in advance at a time in order to stop the incentive of people travelling to Germany to claim money from the government while awaiting the decision in the asylum case.
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The state secretary said that limiting benefit payments could limit the creation of incentives for people and human traffickers to abuse of Germany's benefits system, stressing that it is designed for people who genuinely are seeking asylum.
The letter has been viewed by the dpa news agency.
Political change in Moldova
In August 2021, 431 Moldovans had applied for asylum in Germany. In July, 231 people from Moldova came to Germany to lodge asylum applications. In June, that number stood at 111.
This has resulted in Moldova effectively ranking fifth on the list of main countries of origin for asylum applicants after Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Turkey. A year ago, hardly any asylum seekers from the ex-Soviet republic had come to Germany.
The sharp rise in numbers comes after a new, pro-Western government was formed in Moldova in June -- however, it is unclear whether the change in political direction in the country has had any concrete role to play in these developments.
According to reports, some of the asylum seekers from Moldova had previously stayed in France or the Netherlands before entering Germany, or had traveled to one of those countries after their asylum application was rejected in Germany.
Read more: Germany spent 'record amount' on asylum seekers in 2018
With dpa, BAMF