Overview

• The Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge has formally complained that Bavarian congregations routinely refuse to end Kirchenasyl for asylum seekers after Bamf rules no exceptional hardship, hindering deportation enforcement.
• Bavarian Catholic and Evangelical church bodies contend the 2015 information-sharing pact and the Bavarian Supreme Court decision do not obligate them to terminate sanctuary.
• Official data show 1 878 Kirchenasyl dossiers were filed nationwide in 2024, with Bamf recognizing only one case as an exceptional hardship that transfers asylum responsibility to Germany.
• As of mid-July, 28 people in eight Catholic parishes and 19 individuals with the evangelical church remained under Kirchenasyl despite negative Bamf assessments.
• Bamf officials warn that persistent church sanctuary cases increase asylum applications handled domestically and complicate compliance with EU Dublin transfer rules.