The "Dublin III Regulation" comes in to effect. This is a European Union regulation which determines which member state is responsible for processing asylum applications. The NSU Investigation Committee presents its final report on far-right terrorist group the National Socialist Underground (NSU) The report spans 1,400 pages, detailing instances of negligence and errors committed by the security authorities, while also suggesting reform measures.
Residents of Hellersdorf in Berlin - incited by far-right groups - protest against a refugee hostel predominantly used to accommodate Syrians fleeing the civil war in their country. The human rights organisation Amnesty International requests that the German government make a concerted effort to align its policy on asylum law with human rights legislation and to avoid allowing the debate on supposed "abuse of asylum law" to handicap applicants who face genuine threats to their safety.
UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) publishes a keynote paper in which it addresses Germany's incoming Federal Government. The paper states: "UNHCR views with concern the recent, occasional demonstrations of xenophobia aimed at asylum seekers and refugees. The organisation calls on all parites, and the government, to stand up to this vilification of people who seek or require protection in Germany".
Major refugee disaster off Lampedusa A ship sinks off the coast of the Italian island, killing more than 360 refugees from Somalia and Eritrea. The event sparks a widespread debate on the way refugees are treated in Europe.
The human rights organisation PRO ASYL publishes a report which alleges that refugees are being systematically repelled at the border between Greece and Turkey ("push-backs") in contravention of international law. The European Parliament launches the Eurosur programme, which aims to monitor illegal immigration to EU member states, while also making it easier to rescue refugees, through the use of drones, intelligence devices, off-shore sensors and satellite search systems. The German government passes the "draft for a second law on the change to the citizenship law". According to the new legislation, people who are born in Germany and hold two passports can, in the majority of cases, keep both citizenship documents.
Publication of the "Migrant Files" This contains the results of research data collected by journalists from a number of European newspapers, detailing the numbers of immigrants who have died making their way to Europe since the year 2000. According to the research, 23,000 refugees have died or gone missing on route to Europe in that period.
According to the OECD, Germany is second only to the US as a favoured destination for immigrants.
