Hamm has recorded the lowest number of asylum seekers in five years!

Hamm has recorded the lowest number of asylum seekers in five years!

In recent years, the situation of asylum seekers in the city of Hamm has changed significantly. As Lippewelle reports, the State Statistical Office IT.NRW is reporting the lowest number of refugees in the city in five years for 2025. At the end of last year, there were still 440 asylum seekers living in Hamm, which represents a significant decrease compared to a decade ago, when almost 1,200 asylum seekers were housed here.

This development is also reflected on a national level. The number of asylum seekers assigned to municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia has fallen by almost 18 percent. The continuous decline in the number of asylum seekers in Hamm is a remarkable trend that has been observed over the last few years.

The implementation of the “safe harbor”

An interesting aspect is that Hamm joined the Safe Harbor program six years ago. However, so far no refugees have been accepted into the city. This raises questions about the actual implementation of this program and whether Hamm is actually able to support refugees.

Not only asylum seekers live in Hamm, but also people in various state facilities, including the Central Accommodation Facility (ZUE) on St.-Georg-Platz and the Alfred-Fischer-Halle. These facilities play an important role in accommodating refugees, even as the number of new arrivals declines.

Countries of origin of asylum seekers

The five most common countries of origin for asylum seekers in Hamm are Syria, Türkiye, Ukraine, Iraq and Afghanistan. This diversity of countries of origin underlines the complex situation of the global refugee crisis and the different causes that motivate people to flee.

Such social dynamics not only influence the number of refugees, but also on social integration. Studies such as Greater Good show that social connection is a fundamental psychological need that is essential for life satisfaction. The feeling of belonging to a group and proximity to other people are of great importance for the integration of refugees.

It is known that humans are naturally social creatures and are evolutionarily programmed to socialize. A secure attachment in childhood promotes positive social behavior and has a decisive influence on the development of relationships in adulthood. This shows that it is not just the quantity of refugees that counts, but also the quality of their integration into society.

The issue of asylum seekers and their integration remains an important issue for Hamm and for the whole of North Rhine-Westphalia. Although the challenges are great, the opportunities to support refugees are numerous and should not be neglected.