Asylum Lawsuits Double in Hamburg Despite Fewer Arrivals
Hamburg, February 11 – The number of asylum procedures before the Hamburg Administrative Court significantly increased last year. Following a continuous rise in previous years, 2025 saw 4,027 new lawsuits filed, more than double the number from the previous year, as announced by the Justice Department in response to a dpa inquiry. For comparison, in 2022, nearly 1,500 asylum cases were filed before the Administrative Court in Hamburg.
The number of completed procedures also increased significantly. Last year, 2,552 cases were concluded by judgment, court order, or decision. In 2024, this figure was 1,900.
Fewer Lawsuits Successful
Only 14.4 percent of asylum lawsuits in 2025 were entirely or partially successful, according to the data – seven percentage points less than a year earlier.
At the same time, the processing time continued to decrease: from an average of 12.4 months in 2024 to 9.7 months. The average duration of interim legal protection procedures, however, remained unchanged at 0.9 months.
More Positions Ensure Accelerated Procedures
“The colleagues at the Administrative Court handle the numerous asylum procedures with commitment and professionalism,” said Dennis Sulzmann, spokesman for the Justice Department. Additional positions have been created in recent years to facilitate this. Furthermore, the staffing situation is regularly reviewed in consultation with the court.
The number of asylum lawsuits had already been increasing nationwide in recent years, after the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees increased its staff and now processes its asylum procedures more quickly.
In proceedings before the Hamburg Administrative Court, judges and judicial assistants conduct research on individuals and countries of origin and coordinate appointments, Sulzmann said. There are also specialized chambers for specific countries of origin. “And in the future, AI applications will be used in the judiciary.”
Significantly Fewer Asylum Seekers Arrived in Hamburg
Meanwhile, significantly fewer asylum seekers arrived in Hamburg last year, according to the Senate’s situation report. The Office for Migration recorded 6,669 registrations – a decrease of 32 percent compared to the previous year, when 9,795 asylum seekers were registered.
Source: dpa
