Speeding Up Asylum Decisions and Deportations
Government endorses additional modifications to migration legislation
Germany's "black-red" government is speeding up its course change in migration policy with a new reform. According to sources, the cabinet has agreed to a proposed formulation aid from the Interior Ministry to designate specific states as safe countries of origin via regulation – without the approval of the Bundesrat. Previously, these efforts have been blocked by states with green and left-leaning affiliations.
The new policy's main objective is to expedite asylum decisions and facilitate the deportation of rejected asylum seekers. Notably, additional countries can now be classified as safe due to a regulation change, as these nations do not enshrine the right to asylum for political refugees in their national constitutions, providing only limited protection to asylum seekers in the first place.
Criticisms and Controversies
Green MP Filiz Polat criticized the classification of safe countries of origin as an infringement upon individual protection rights. According to Polat, such actions raise concerns about the rule of law. The initial countries slated for this designation are Algeria, India, Morocco, and Tunisia.
The German government is also considering additional reforms, such as scrapping the state-appointed lawyer provision and limiting family reunification for holders of subsidiary protection. Additionally, the abolition of citizenship for well-integrated foreigners after three years is now on the table. These changes are currently under debate in the Bundestag.
Border Control Controversies
Recent border control incidents have sparked controversy. After an urgent decision by the Berlin Administrative Court, the federal government continues to turn away asylum seekers at the border, despite critics arguing that such actions are illegal. Following a court ruling against the expulsion of Somali asylum seekers, the Interior Minister maintains that no legal accountability will be faced by federal police officers.
Opposition parties and human rights groups have expressed concern over these border policies and their potential impact on migrants seeking asylum in Germany. These debates and challenges underscore the complex and evolving nature of migration policy in Germany.
- The new migration policy, aiming to speed up asylum decisions and deportations, has drawn criticism from Green MP Filiz Polat, who believes classifying certain countries as safe countries of origin constitutes an infringement upon individual protection rights.
- As the German government considers reforms such as scrapping the state-appointed lawyer provision and limiting family reunification for holders of subsidiary protection, opposition parties and human rights groups voice concerns about the potential impact on migrants seeking asylum, highlighting the ongoing debates and controversies surrounding policy-and-legislation in the realm of migration.
