- Let's Talk Shop
Unlawful rejection of asylum seekers still persists, according to SPD faction deputy Eichwede. - Members urge EU Commission to boost ties with Central and Eastern European nations in foreign affairs.
The intricacies of the ongoing debate regarding the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany's borders have been addressed by Eichwede, a SPD member and former judge. She maintains that border police are well-aware of the complicated legal predicament surrounding these rejections, despite Dobrindt's recent declaration of intensified border controls. Eichwede clarifies that Dobrindt hasn't issued an explicit command to federal police to carry out these rejections. Instead, she suggests those at the borders will likely continue to abstain, as the absence of such an order implies. Should changes occur, legal action may follow.
Dobrindt's Decision
In a bold statement made Wednesday, Dobrindt, Germany's Interior Minister, planned stricter border checks to curb refugee numbers. This decision involves reinforcing the federal police presence at the border and implementing border rejections for asylum seekers. However, exceptions will be made for children and expectant mothers.
- Sonja Eichwede
- Asylum Seekers
- SPD
- Rejection
- Federal Police
- Germany
- Alexander Dobrindt
- Political Signaling
- Administrative Changes
- Legal Complexities
A Closer Look: The Mixed Signals
Alexander Dobrindt, who took office as Germany’s Interior Minister in 2025 under Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s administration, aimed to enforce stricter immigration policies. This included invalidating a 2015 verbal instruction that restricted the Federal Police’s power to dismiss asylum seekers at the border. Dobrindt’s initiatives indicate a shift towards a firm immigration stance, targeting reduced asylum entries by denying entry at the borders [1][3].
However, further examination reveals this policy shift as more symbolic and political rather than a radical legal overhaul. Removing the 2015 instruction is an administrative measure that removes internal constraints on border police but does not modify Germany’s obligations under international and EU asylum law regarding the right to seek asylum. Germany continues to operate within EU and international frameworks mandating fair processing of asylum claims, and widespread rejections without due process could be deemed unlawful under these guidelines [5].
Moreover, Germany has been implementing varying degrees of border controls since at least October 2023, with rejections of migrants occurring at specific borders such as those with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria. Thus, Dobrindt's intensified border controls and rejections are an expansion and continuation of previous practices rather than entirely new, unlawful actions [5].
- Dobrindt's intensified border controls and rescinding of previous internal restrictions empower federal police to more actively reject asylum seekers at the border [1][2][5].
- Despite these modifications, these measures do not constitute a legal mandate for unlawful asylum rejections, as Germany remains subject to EU and international asylum law and its obligations to process claims fairly [5].
- The policy shift appears more political, targeting conservative voters, rather than an extensive overhaul of asylum procedures [5].
- The continued rejection of some asylum seekers at the border, under specific controls, has been ongoing for some time, indicating these practices are not entirely new or necessarily unlawful [5].
Wrapping it Up
In summary, while Dobrindt's tougher border controls have expanded federal police's authority to reject asylum seekers, this has not drastically changed the legal landscape, making such rejections broadly lawful or unlawful — they remain subject to EU and international asylum law, and the policy appears as much a political statement as a legal overhaul.
- The Commission has not yet adopted a decision on the application of the directive regarding the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany's borders, despite Dobrindt's call for stricter border controls and rejections.
- SPD's Eichwede, a former judge, has pointed out the legal complexities surrounding these rejections, suggesting that continued rejections without appropriate orders could lead to legal action.
- Eichwede's comments come as Germany, under the administration of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, has been implementing varying degrees of border controls, with rejections at specific borders like those with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Austria.
- The debate surrounding the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany's borders is a matter of policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news, with Dobrindt's recent initiatives signaling a potential shift towards a firm immigration stance while maintaining Germany's obligations under international and EU asylum law.
