The number of people arriving in Germany wanting to seek asylum fell dramatically last year, figures showed on Wednesday—good news for Chancellor Angela Merkel as she prepares to seek reelection.
The fall reflected tougher rules at home and border closures by other countries that made it harder for people to travel across Europe to get to Germany, Reuters reported.
Some 280,000 migrants seeking refuge entered Germany in 2016, down from 890,000 the previous year, the German Interior Ministry said. Yet the number of people who filed asylum applications was about 750,000, which is 270,000 more than in 2015.
Migrants who arrive in Germany are first registered at reception centers where they have to wait for months before they can file an asylum application, creating a huge backlog and putting strain on civil servants.
