Asylum and other forms of protection in Germany

What does asylum mean?

The word “asylum” comes from Greek and means a place of refuge, protection from danger and persecution. It means a person who is applying for asylum in a foreign country is asking to be permitted to live in a safe place.

There are different possibilities for refugees to obtain protection in Germany:

• A right to asylum
• Protection as a refugee
• Subsidiary protection
• National ban on deportation

To obtain protection, it is necessary to file an asylum application in all cases.