A single sentence — "We can do it." — became a worldwide symbol of Germany's welcoming stance toward refugees. Hundreds of thousands traveled to Germany in 2015, many from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, and were initially met with solidarity and help. Over the following decade public mood shifted toward skepticism and rejection, and immigration became emotionally charged. In 2015–2016, 1.2 million people applied for asylum; subsequent years saw a steep decline. Germany approved about 56% of asylum applications at first instance, resulting in 1.5 million people granted the right to remain, and about 3.5 million protection-seekers live in Germany today. German law enshrines a legally enforceable right to asylum for politically persecuted persons.
"We can do it." One sentence that became a worldwide symbol for Germany's welcoming stance toward refugees. When then-Chancellor Angela Merkel of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU) spoke these words in the European summer of 2015, hundreds of thousands of people were on their way to Germany. Many came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. They were received with a wave of solidarity and willingness to help. But 10 years later the mood in Germany has changed: skepticism and rejection prevail.
In the years 2015 and 2016 combined, 1.2 million people came to Germany and applied for asylum. In the following years the number of asylum seekers significantly reduced. No other country in the European Union (EU) has taken in as many people seeking refuge. However, an application for asylum does not automatically mean that every person was recognized as a refugee and received permission to remain in the country.
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