An asylum rights scandal is currently unsettling Germany: nearly one in ten asylum seekers has disappeared from government-run accommodations. The whereabouts of tens of thousands of individuals remain unknown.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, 923 asylum seekers have disappeared from state accommodations within just 18 months. They are officially classified as „missing,” with their whereabouts unknown. Among the missing are individuals known to the police. At least seven people from a reception center in Bitburg had previously been flagged for offenses such as bodily harm, theft, or drug-related crimes.

Tens of thousands have „moved to unknown locations”

The incidents in Rhineland-Palatinate are not isolated. According to data from the Central Register of Foreign Nationals (Ausländerzentralregister – AZR), by the end of 2025, there were 40,952 rejected asylum seekers recorded nationwide as having „moved to unknown locations,” all within a mere 18 months.

Additionally, in the first half of 2025 alone, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees terminated over 7,000 asylum procedures because the applicants had disappeared or could no longer be contacted by the authorities. The German bureaucracy is reportedly failing in migration matters „in a way that must be termed a political and administrative failure,” commented

In Rhineland-Palatinate, 923 asylum seekers have disappeared from state accommodations within just 18 months. They are officially classified as „missing,” with their whereabouts unknown. Among the missing are individuals known to the police. At least seven people from a reception center in Bitburg had previously been flagged for offenses such as bodily harm, theft, or drug-related crimes.

Tens of thousands have „moved to unknown locations”

The incidents in Rhineland-Palatinate are not isolated. According to data from the Central Register of Foreign Nationals (Ausländerzentralregister – AZR), by the end of 2025, there were 40,952 rejected asylum seekers recorded nationwide as having „moved to unknown locations,” all within a mere 18 months.

Additionally, in the first half of 2025 alone, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees terminated over 7,000 asylum procedures because the applicants had disappeared or could no longer be contacted by the authorities. The German bureaucracy is reportedly failing in migration matters „in a way that must be termed a political and administrative failure,” commented Welt on the situation.

Neuer Asyl-Skandal – Bundesweit über 7600 Flüchtlinge untergetaucht https://t.co/bL5qgUwnV6 pic.twitter.com/27mBN5KWwJ

— WELT (@welt) January 26, 2026

In light of German statistics, Exxpress has also posed questions to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior (BMI): How many asylum seekers leave their accommodation or basic care facilities without officially deregistering? How often are asylum procedures terminated due to the individuals being unreachable? And how many subsequently reappear in the system?

According to the Austrian Ministry of the Interior, approximately 1,600 individuals withdrew from ongoing asylum procedures last year. In such cases, those affected lose their entitlement to basic care and health insurance, and the procedure is effectively considered closed.

Estimates suggest that many of these individuals return to their country of origin or attempt to settle in other countries.

Spain to Integrate Undocumented Migrants

While Germany faces challenges with „missing” migrants, Spain is preparing to legalize the status of undocumented migrants. Previously, it was reported that the left-leaning Spanish government plans to grant residency permits to several hundred thousand migrants without official papers.

The socialist government, led by Pedro Sánchez, is acknowledging and honoring those individuals already residing in Spain, emphasized Elma Saiz.

Elma Saiz, the minister responsible for integration, social security, and migration, described the initiative as „historically significant,” marking the imminent start of a popular legislative proposal (ILP) aimed at legalizing the status of foreigners. The minister also highlighted that the goal is to „acknowledge, dignify, and provide guarantees” for those who already live and work in Spain, ensuring that the process will also benefit minors under the care of families.