While EU chiefs attack ‘disinformation,’ Scholz’s account of his own record just doesn’t add up.
The numbers show that the ‘traffic light’ government has not reduced illegal migration to Germany, but Chancellor Olaf Scholz has claimed in public that “irregular migration [was] significantly reduced” on his watch.
In contrast to the true figures (see below), the German Chancellor declared:
In recent years we have already significantly reduced irregular migration—together with states and municipalities, by the way. That is a great success and shows that it is possible.
Unfortunately for Scholz, his coalition has not reduced illegal migration to Germany. Since he took office in December 2021, the totals of both asylum applications to and known (i.e. recorded) illegal entries into Germany have skyrocketed.
| Year | Number of asylum applications | Number of cases of illegal entry recorded by the police |
| 2018 | 185,853 | 39,476 |
| 2019: | 165,938 | 38,210 |
| 2020 | 122,170 | 38,334 |
| 2021 | 190,816 | 41,290 |
| 2022 | 244,132 | 66,336 |
| 2023 | 351,015 | 93,158 |
| 2024 | 153,361 (Jan-July) |
Sources: Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and Federal Police
Even 2020’s slight reductions in asylum/illegal entry totals both coincide with the global coronavirus pandemic and precede Scholz’s coalition! Some success.
Lying about the figures goes hand-in-hand with wanting to silence debate about migration. Incredibly, Scholz doubled down on his “significant” reductions by announcing:
We need answers like this on the matter and not debates about open borders for everyone or extremists who are forging their expulsion plans in Potsdam villas.
The not-so-cryptic reference to “Potsdam villas” draws on a publicly funded “exposé” in Correctiv magazine of a secret ‘remigration’ plan to expel German citizens—which turned out to be nothing of the sort. Another lie, in fact.
