Germany has seen a substantial increase in its Syrian population since the 2015-16 migrant crisis, with the number reaching at least 972,000 by the end of 2023. This represents a sixteenfold increase from 2014, when there were only 60,000 Syrians in the country. Syrians in Germany now represent nearly five percent of all Syrians.
Over half of the Syrians in Germany, 513,534 people, receive German welfare known as Burgergeld, according to the Federal Employment Agency. Even those not on welfare receive aid via the Asylum Seekers’ Benefits Act. The government’s expenditure on migrants was nearly €50 billion in 2023, largely contributing to record-high debt levels. Since 2010, Germany has paid over $145 billion in welfare to foreigners.
Afghan migrants have also increased significantly, with their numbers reaching 419,410 in 2023, representing a sixfold rise since 2014.
Nearly half of these, approximately 197,551, receive social welfare payments. This rapid influx has continued, with an announcement from Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock indicating that 10,000 more Afghans are expected to arrive soon.
Official data reveals that 47.3 percent of all welfare recipients in Germany are foreigners.
Alongside overrepresentation in welfare usage, migrants are overrepresented in crime. Statistics reveal that Afghans have higher criminality rates than native Germans, including serious offenses like assault and gang rape.
Germany’s new citizenship law will allow migrants who have been in the country for five years to apply for naturalization, with some eligible after just three years. Last year, at least 70,000 Syrians became German citizens.
