Germany bets on AI to tackle migration

The tool is set to help in the processing of asylum, visa and residence permit applications as Berlin grapples with an influx of newcomers The German government has approved a bill to deploy artificial intelligence in processing asylum, visa and residence permit applications.The initiative aims to accelerate procedures and reduce pressure on immigration authorities. It was endorsed by the cabinet on Wednesday but still requires backing from the federal parliament and Federal Council.The EU’s economic powerhouse, Germany has long been the bloc’s leading destination for asylum seekers. In 2025, the country received more than 163,000 applications, accounting for about one in five claims lodged across the bloc’s 27 member states, according to the EU Agency for Asylum. The country also hosts the EU’s largest migrant population in absolute terms, with nearly 17 million foreign-born residents accounting for about 20% of Germany’s population.Over the past year, the federal government has tightened Germany’s migration policy by expanding border checks, increasing the number of migrants turned back at the border, and accelerating asylum procedures and deportations. The measures marked a shar...