Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
January 6, 2016
Germany says nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers were registered in the country last year, with Syrians making up almost 40 percent of arrivals.
The Interior Ministry said on January 6 that 1,091,894 people in total were registered between January and December 2015.
Syrians seeking refuge in Germany were by far the biggest single group, accounting for 428,468 people.
They were followed by Afghans, 154,046 of whom were registered, and 121,662 Iraqis.
The annual arrivals were around five times more than in 2014.
Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has seen more refugees and other migrants arrive than any other European country.
The influx has split public opinion in Germany, and Chancellor Angela Merkel is increasingly coming under fire for her open-door stance to those fleeing war and misery.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP