The number of rejected asylum seekers and migrants who cannot be deported as they lack the necessary travel documents has increased by 71 percent, to 65,000 in 2017 from 38,000 in 2016, according to an internal report by the German Interior Ministry seen by the Funke Media Group.

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In many cases, German authorities cannot send the migrants back to their countries of origin because the necessary paperwork does not get completed by the relevant embassies and consulates.

Cooperation with India, Pakistan 'poor'

The report suggests that Indian and Pakistani authorities, in particular, rarely cooperate. With regard to India, it says that "processing requests for replacement passports [is] slow or nonexistent, despite frequent visits to the embassy."

Regarding Pakistan, the report says that "replacement passport procedures are being processed, but there is a lag." The report also mentions that cooperation with Lebanon is sketchy, with "replies to requests very rare. Contact with the embassy is poor."

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Cooperation with Turkey on migrant issues has deteriorated since late 2017; the report says it is "poor to very poor, nationwide." The report also stresses a high number of cases from Afghanistan and Russia.

In 3,800 cases, the person's nationality could not be established.

Last week, a report suggested that half of all rejected asylum seekers successfully challenge the decision to deny them asylum in Germany.

Germany processes more asylum applications than all other EU states combined, according to Eurostat, the EU's statistics office.

ng/kms (dpa, Reuters)

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