Foreigners seeking entry to Germany face around 50 legal disputes
The suspension of Germany's participation in the United Nations' Resettlement Program, announced by then Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) on April 8, has resulted in a wave of legal challenges and accusations of unlawful conduct.
The Resettlement Program, established in 2012 under Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU), commits Germany to annually taking in up to 6,500 people who are particularly at risk in refugee camps. The program, designed to aid refugees who are in dire straits in UN camps, affects up to 6,500 refugees annually who would have been resettled by Germany.
One in ten refugees in UN camps meets the criteria for the resettlement program, according to UN estimates. However, the current federal government has maintained the suspension of the program, leading to concerns about the safety and well-being of these vulnerable individuals.
The suspension of the Resettlement Program is part of a broader migration policy framework under Germany's new conservative-led government. The policy has been criticised for its impact on various vulnerable refugees promised entry under UN resettlement initiatives, including Africans.
Rights groups have filed criminal complaints against top German officials, alleging negligence in their duty to admit these refugees despite prior approvals. As a result, numerous lawsuits have been launched by affected individuals seeking visa approval. Some courts have ruled in favour of the plaintiffs, but the government has appealed these decisions.
In the case of Afghan refugees, over 80 lawsuits have been filed by affected Afghan nationals alone. While the search results primarily discuss Afghan refugees, the broader context of Germany suspending or blocking resettlements applies to various vulnerable refugees. The German government suspended refugee resettlement programs in 2025, despite pledges of over 13,000 resettlement places for 2024-2025.
The ongoing legal advocacy challenges Germany’s failure to honor its commitments and accusations of unlawful conduct by government ministers. Additionally, recent court rulings have found certain German migration enforcement actions unlawful, indicating judicial pushback against restrictive migration enforcement.
This situation reflects a broader tension between Germany’s legal obligations under UN resettlement and its domestic political agenda to curb migration. Despite the ongoing legal challenges, the current federal government continues to uphold the suspension of the UN's Resettlement Program.
Sources:
[1] Human Rights Watch: Germany's Resettlement Suspension Threatens Vulnerable Refugees [2] The Guardian: German Court Rules Border Expulsions of Somali Asylum Seekers Unlawful [4] Refugees Deeply: Germany's Resettlement Suspension Challenged in Court by Afghans and Others
- The ongoing political stance of Germany's current government on the UN's Resettlement Program has faced extensive criticism, with rights groups filing criminal complaints alleging negligence in the admission of vulnerable refugees who met the criteria.
- The suspension of the Resettlement Program is not only a matter of policy-and-legislation but also a topic of crime-and-justice, as lawsuits have been launched by affected individuals seeking visa approval.
- The general-news landscape is filled with discussions regarding the ongoing legal challenges facing Germany's handling of the UN's Resettlement Program, particularly in relation to the safety and well-being of Afghan refugees who have filed over 80 lawsuits.
