The issues surrounding the granting of asylum have been one of the most important domestic political topics in the Federal Republic of Germany since the early 1970s. The political and public discussion regarding the design of asylum law and the fundamental stance of the Federal Republic towards refugees seeking asylum is directly related to the development of asylum seeker numbers. Every report of comparatively increased admission figures triggers a process that, despite varying emphases, exhibits certain characteristics typical of the German asylum debate. The main focus of this book is to illuminate these characteristics of German politics, starting from the legal foundations of asylum granting in Germany and critically examining its development since the adoption of the Basic Law.