Refugees in Germany: risking it all to build a future

In 2014, thousands of asylum seekers risked their lives trying to reach Germany. Syrians fleeing the ongoing civil war made up the largest group.

Only a tiny minority of them arrive on student visas, says Marei Pelzer from ProAsyl, a German NGO that lobbies on behalf of refugees and asylum seekers. The vast majority are asylum seekers.

According to figures released by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees last November, Syrians made up the biggest group of those seeking asylum in Germany in 2014.

From January to November 2014, a total of 155,427 people lodged their initial asylum claim in Germany, an increase of almost 55 percent compared to 2013. 34,144 were Syrians, followed by Serbians (15,282) and Eritreans (12,420).

Others arrive on a resettlement program. The German government has pledged to resettle 20,000 Syrian refugees, but so far, only some 10,000 have arrived. Human rights groups criticize the programme as being overly bureaucratic and time-consuming.

While it's an important first step, Pelzer says, it's just a tiny drop in the ocean, given Syria's ongoing crisis.  "So the majority of Syrian refugees are still forced to risk their lives crossing the Mediterranean in order to reach Europe", she explains.  Read More at Refugees in Germany

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