Merz aims to keep new asylum seekers in Germany below 100,000 a year

Germany's incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz on Sunday said his future government aims to reduce the number of new asylum seekers to below 100,000 per year, citing pressure on the country's institutions and infrastructure.

Speaking on public broadcaster ARD, Merz said: "The strain on our cities, towns, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure has reached a critical point," adding that the annual number should no longer be in the six-digit range.

Merz reaffirmed plans to suspend family reunifications and launch a broad deportation push, as outlined in the coalition agreement between his conservative CDU/CSU bloc - made up of Merz's Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU) - and the Social Democrats (SPD).

He also pledged to implement migrant pushbacks at Germany's borders, adding that coordination with neighbouring countries was already in progress. Merz said he expects cooperation, naming Austria as an example.

Germany recorded almost 230,000 first-time asylum applications in 2024 — about 100,000 fewer than the year before. Merz has previously said the country can sustainably handle no more than 100,000 asylum seekers annually.