It was the night of September 4, 2015. The first of three nights which would see tens of thousands of refugees cross into Germany. After months of rapidly increasing numbers of asylum seekers, this marked a turning point in what became Germany's refugee crisis.

Before too long, more than 13,000 people a day were crossing Germany's borders in the hope of finding asylum. By the end of 2015, the total exceeded 1 million.

Under pressure

Overwhelmed and understaffed, Germany's Federal Office of Migration and Refugees (BAMF), which is responsible for interviewing asylum seekers and determining whether their applications are granted, drafted in more staff.

Management accountants, geography experts and even army soldiers were enlisted to deal with the mammoth task, more than doubling the number of BAMF employees from 3,000 to 7,300.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Fleeing war and poverty In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Seeking refuge over the border Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? A long journey on foot In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Desperate sea crossings Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Pressure on the borders Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Closing the open door Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Striking a deal with Turkey In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? No end in sight With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise. Author: Rachel Stewart



With the authorities under unprecedented pressure, it was in the fall if 2015 that suspected right-wing extremist Franco A. seemingly seized his chance.

The 28-year-old army lieutenant was granted asylum after he posed as a Syrian refugee named "David Benjamin," allegedly in order to be able infiltrate a number of targets and carry out terror attacks.

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With skepticism already running high over the authorities' ability to competently handle the record numbers of asylum applications, the case, which came to light last week, sparked uproar in Germany.

BAMF investigates 2,000 cases

In light of the bizarre case of identity fraud, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has launched an inquiry in a bid to uncover systemic problems in the asylum process, such as inadequate background checks and screening.

The fact that Franco A. was granted asylum was the kind of "flagrant error that is not allowed to happen," BAMF spokesman Johannes Dimroth told Germany's "Frankfurter Allgemeine" paper.

As part of the investigation, some 2,000 asylum applications that were granted between January 1, 2016, and April 27 of this year are being reviewed, including those of 1,000 Afghans and 1,000 Syrians.

The selected cases were chosen based on similar patterns to the Franco A. case, such applicants without papers and single applicants of a certain age group.

Faced with an unprecedented number of asylum seekers, authorities reportedly struggled to carry out the necessary checks

Employees suspended

Decision makers involved in every step of Franco A.'s asylum application will also be scrutinized. Employees responsible for his case, including the interpreter, have been "suspended from further duties," the Interior Ministry said.

Asked at a press conference on Friday whether there were failings to be found in the migration office, de Maiziere simply answered: "We will know after the investigation."

Hopes for technology

In an interview with German local paper "Münchner Merkur," BAMF head Jutta Cordt remained optimistic, claiming that according to current findings, nothing pointed to structural deficiencies in Germany's asylum procedures.

Hundreds of thousands seized the chance to seek asylum after Chancellor Merkel's historic decision to open the borders

Cordt added, however, that in future the agency would "make better use of modern technology."

The use of language identification software in the asylum procedure is already being tested to clearly identify the origin of refugees, she said, adding that she hoped analysis of mobile phone data would also help clarify exactly who people were.

Quality or quantity?

Despite the boost in employees at the height of the refugee crisis, training was skimped on, with some new case officers receiving as little as 10 days of training compared to the usual 14 weeks.

"More often than not, people made decisions on applications even though they knew nothing," Hubert Heinhold, a Munich-based lawyer specializing in asylum cases, told "Die Zeit."

"They don't know the basics of asylum law," he added.

While BAMF struggled to keep up with the relentless influx of refugees, quality reportedly fell, and being granted asylum or not was described as being a matter of pure chance.

Sebastian Ludwig from the Protestant Church-run social organization Diakonie told DW in October 2016 that it was an "extreme challenge for every organization."

"Dealing with 1 million asylum cases by the end of the year as announced by the BAMF bosses is purely a case of quantity, not quality," Ludwig said.

BAMF deputy head Uta Dauke insisted on Friday, however, that this had never been the case.

"Quality was always and still remains the main question," she told DW.