The German government is working to address a growing number of asylum seekers from Colombia, despite their low chances of approval.
Joachim Stamp, Germany’s special representative for migration agreements, visited Bogotá this week to discuss the issue with Colombian officials. Stamp emphasized that asylum is not a viable path to entering the German labor market, stating his goal to “quickly reduce the number of asylum applications with no prospect of success.”
While Germany actively seeks skilled workers abroad, including from Colombia, many Colombians applying for asylum would qualify for regular labor migration instead. Stamp highlighted the need to spread awareness about these opportunities and encourage Colombians to acquire in-demand job skills for work visas.
Colombians now rank among the top ten nationalities applying for asylum in Germany, with over 3,500 applications submitted in 2023 — a 25-fold increase since 2018, according to Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). However, only one in 200 Colombian asylum applications is approved.
