He said the cause isn`t entirely clear but pointed to bad weather in the Mediterranean that has deterred people from crossing from Turkey to Greece, and efforts by Turkey to stop people leaving by sea.
He said that "this isn`t yet a turnaround, but it is a good development." De Maiziere`s comments came after he announced that 965,000 people were registered in Germany as asylum-seekers from January to November.
More about: