RT.com
03 Jun 2025, 20:12 GMT+10
Police have been told to assess asylum claims instead of turning applicants away at the border
A Berlin court has barred German border police from rejecting asylum seekers arriving from neighboring EU countries without reviewing their claims. The ruling deals a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz's recent efforts to reduce asylum-related land migration.
Last month, shortly after Merz took office, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt introduced a policy under which undocumented migrants arriving at land borders were to be turned back - unless they are unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, or otherwise vulnerable individuals. The move aimed to fulfill Merz's campaign promise to curb migration amid heightened public concern following a series of high-profile crimes involving asylum seekers.
On Monday, however, the Berlin Administrative Court ruled against the policy. The decision came in response to a legal challenge brought by three Somali nationals who tried to enter Germany last month but were returned to Poland without any examination of their claims.
The court found Dobrindt's policy to be unlawful under the Dublin Regulation, which governs how EU member states handle asylum applications. The rules require that asylum seekers apply in the first EU country they enter. If they later apply in another member state, such as Germany, that country can seek to transfer them back to the original state.
In its ruling, the Berlin court emphasized that Germany cannot reject asylum seekers at the border without first checking whether they have submitted a claim, and whether the Dublin rules apply. It noted that while Germany is not obligated to accept all asylum seekers at the border, it also cannot summarily return individuals without reviewing their applications.
As noted by the New York Times, the German authorities could fulfill these requirements by holding applicants in processing centers until it can be determined which EU state is responsible for their claims.
Dobrindt responded to the court's ruling by arguing that it applies only to the specific case of the three Somali migrants and does not undermine the government's broader policy. "We stand by our legal opinion and do not consider it to have been undermined in this instance," he told reporters on Monday night.
Efforts to curb migration to Germany intensified following a series of violent crimes, including the 2024 knife attack in Solingen, where a Syrian asylum seeker fatally stabbed three people and injured eight others during a summer festival. The attacker had originally entered the EU through Bulgaria. German officials failed to deport him because they could not locate him at his assigned asylum residence.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Iraq Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iraq Sun.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, New York: Facing a deepening financial crisis, the United Nations Secretariat is planning to cut 20 percent of its US$3.7...
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico: More than 4 billion people worldwide endured at least one extra month of extreme heat between May 2024 and May...
GAZA - At least 32 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for food at...
SEOUL, South Korea: On May 30, South Korea's leading left-wing presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, said he wants to change the Constitution...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. federal officials are looking into an attempt by someone who pretended to be White House Chief of Staff Susie...
SEATTLE, Washington: Amazon has struck a significant deal with The New York Times to license its journalism for use in AI tools like...
GAZA - At least 32 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds waiting for food at...
CAIRO, Egypt: Egypt has revealed three newly discovered tombs in the Dra Abu al-Naga necropolis in Luxor. These tombs, found by Egyptian...
Police have been told to assess asylum claims instead of turning applicants away at the border A Berlin court has barred German border...
ABU DHABI, 3rd June, 2025 (WAM) -- On behalf of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Noura Al Kaabi, Minister...
MUSCAT, 3rd June, 2025 (WAM) -- Sheikh Mohammed bin Maktoum Al Maktoum presented a copy of his credentials as UAE Ambassador to the...
Germany is reportedly considering curbs on trade and arms sales amid outcry over Gaza ...