Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): It has been said that the amount of asylum requests has increased by 203 percent compared to the same period last year.
According to Deutsche Welle, more and more Turkish citizens flee to Germany every day. There are two main reasons for this trend. While the political persecution continues, unemployment and inflation have broken the back of the Turkish people and pushed many into the abyss of poverty.
According to the report, by the end of July this year, more than 23,000 citizens have applied for asylum. According to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), this number has increased by 203 percent compared to the same period last year. In the general table for 2023, Turkey ranks third after Afghanistan and Syria in terms of asylum requests by country of origin.
Germany's Federal Skilled Trade Office has said that the number of Turkish asylum seekers in July was 3,791 and the number of Afghans was 3,750.
In the report, one of the reasons for the migration of Turkish citizens is poverty, and it is said that the economic situation of Turkey has deteriorated rapidly, especially in the last two years. Mainly due to Erdogan's low interest rate policy, the Turkish lira gradually lost its value and inflation skyrocketed. According to recent official statistics, the inflation index was about 48%. The Central Bank has even predicted 58% for the end of the year. A large part of the country's population is on the border of the poverty line.
Turkish regional elections will be held in the spring of 2024. Erdogan wants to first control inflation and take back cities like Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya, which have a large part of the country's economic output, from the opposition.
It seems that many Turkish people do not believe in the improvement of the country's economic and political situation. Especially people with university education and members of the opposition are leaving Turkey. With three million people of Turkish descent, the presence of family and acquaintances, as well as established networks and structures, Germany is an attractive destination for many Turkish people who immigrate to it through unconventional routes.
In 2021, more than 7067 Turkish citizens sought political and social support in Germany. Only one year later, the number of asylum requests tripled and reached 23,938. This number exceeded 23,000 people by the end of July this year.