German court bans immediate rejection of asylum-seekers
A capital court struck down a Merz government measure to reduce illegal immigration.
German police file image.
German authorities will not be able to turn away fast-track asylum seekers. So ruled an administrative court in Berlin, in a blow to the migration policy of Germany's brand-new head of government, Friedrich Merz.
The decision follows an appeal by three Somalis who last month crossed from Poland into Germany via Frankfurt, seeking asylum. They were returned to the former country in less than a day.
Merz had indicated to police that they could turn back migrants at the border, including asylum seekers, both as a recipe against illegal immigration and to appease right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AFD), which in the last election achieved its best-ever result.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in a statement that the government would continue turning away asylum seekers. "We think we have the legal justification for this," he said.
Only hours before the court decision became known, AFD had publicly protested the increase in lawsuits against asylum decisions. "Instead of easing the burden on our authorities and enabling quick returns, endless court proceedings block any application of the rule of law," the party wrote on social media.
"The AFD demands: expulsion instead of court proceedings! Anyone who does not have the right to remain must leave our country immediately," it argued.
The Dublin procedure
That procedure determines which country in the bloc should process the asylum, giving priority to the nation through which the applicant entered the union. The three Somali immigrants were therefore supposed to be held, analyzed and sent to the appropriate country.
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