In Germany, rejected asylum seekers are taking their cases to court so frequently that the justice system is struggling to keep up. According to a recent survey, nearly three-quarters of all new cases brought before administrative courts in several federal states are related to asylum proceedings.
A survey conducted by Focus news magazine found that 74% of new cases filed with administrative courts in Baden-Württemberg and Lower Saxony in the first three quarters of this year were asylum-related. The share was 66% in Rhineland-Palatinate and 60% in Bavaria.
The survey also revealed that these court proceedings take far longer than expected. EU regulations stipulate that asylum procedures should be completed within a maximum of six months. However, most German states fail to meet this requirement. According to Focus, the average duration of proceedings nationwide now exceeds one year.
Berlin ranks lowest in this regard: on average, it takes 17.8 months for a court decision to be issued. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, the average processing time is 7.5 months. In 2024, the average duration of national asylum procedures rose to 8.7 months–a significant increase compared to the previous year.
