German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere was in Afghanistan Monday to discuss the increasing numbers of Afghan refugees heading to Germany, officials said, according to dpa. More than 150,000 Afghans applied for asylum in Germany last year, the second-largest group of applicants behind Syrians, and up from just 9,700 Afghans who applied in 2014. De Maiziere said in October that the surge in Afghan refugees was unacceptable, pointing to efforts by German soldiers and police to improve security in Afghanistan. Much aid has also been supplied to the country, and the worst of the security problems do not affect all provinces, he said. Afghans could therefore be expected to stay at home, he said. Germany has launched a public awareness campaign in Afghanistan to encourage would-be asylum seekers to stay. The German government has said it plans to reduce the number of asylum applications from Afghanistan, and to send more Afghans home.
