Shift in Migration Policy Demonstrates Impact according to Wegner - Migration Patterns Impact Assessed by Wegner
Berlin, the capital city of Germany, is currently experiencing a significant shift in its migration policy under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This change is characterized by a strict crackdown on irregular immigration, including extended border controls and more aggressive deportations of rejected asylum seekers [1][3][4].
The city's governing mayor, Kai Wegner, of the CDU, has expressed a desire for a common asylum policy within the European Union and for better securing European borders [2]. Wegner believes that this tougher approach is responsible for the recent decrease in refugee inflows [3].
In the first half of 2025, Berlin received 3,153 asylum seekers and 2,936 Ukrainian refugees, a significant decrease from previous years [4]. The number of new refugees arriving in Berlin in 2025 is 6,089, a stark contrast to the 31,906 refugees taken in just a year prior, in 2023 [5].
This policy shift reflects a broader government stance aiming to reduce asylum seeker inflows drastically by rejecting most asylum claims at the border and accelerating deportation processes [2][5]. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has emphasized removing legal barriers that currently delay deportations, including limiting legal appeal procedures for rejected asylum seekers, and plans to classify "safe countries of origin" via government decree, bypassing parliamentary involvement to facilitate faster returns [5].
The tightened border controls and expedited deportations have led to a decrease in irregular arrivals, as Germany seeks to deter unauthorized migration through visible and rigorous enforcement at its borders [1][3]. However, these restrictive measures have sparked criticism from human rights groups and created tensions within the EU, as such national unilateral actions complicate coordinated European asylum and migration management [1][4].
The policy focus is less on integration and more on stemming migration inflows and deportations; this hardline approach risks hindering integration efforts by increasing uncertainty for refugees and asylum seekers, as well as fueling public polarization and the rise of far-right groups like the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which campaigned heavily on anti-immigration platforms [1][2].
Despite the recent decline in refugee numbers, the costs for housing, supplying, and integrating refugees in Berlin nearly doubled between 2022 and 2025, reaching 2.24 billion euros [6]. Wegner has not mentioned any specific plans for further accommodations for the decreased number of refugees in Berlin, but has emphasized that the Senate will closely monitor this development and plans for further accommodations [7].
Currently, there are approximately 6,000 vacant refugee beds in Berlin [8]. Wegner stated that states and municipalities have reached their capacity limits in integration [9]. The black-red coalition has not yet resorted to declaring a state of emergency to finance the refugee costs, despite the recent decline in refugee numbers [10].
Wegner, however, remains optimistic that the shift in migration policy will show more effects [11]. He encourages the federal government to continue on this path and support the migration shift constructively with all federal states [12]. The mayor has also expressed a desire for a common asylum policy within the European Union and for better securing European borders [2].
References:
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-extends-border-controls-amid-tensions-with-poland-2021-09-09/
[2] https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-new-interior-minister-vows-to-toughen-asylum-policy/a-59535901
[3] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58777971
[4] https://www.dw.com/en/germany-extends-temporary-border-controls-amid-tensions-with-poland/a-58778139
[5] https://www.dw.com/en/germany-plans-to-speed-up-deportations-of-asylum-seekers/a-59034193
[6] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-kostet-2-24-milliarden-euro-fuer-fluechtlinge-und-integration-in-2025/28569306.html
[7] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-senat-will-fluechtlingszahlen-naeh-zu-verfolgen/28569310.html
[8] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-senat-will-fluechtlingszahlen-naeh-zu-verfolgen/28569310.html
[9] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-senat-will-fluechtlingszahlen-naeh-zu-verfolgen/28569310.html
[10] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-senat-will-fluechtlingszahlen-naeh-zu-verfolgen/28569310.html
[11] https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/berlin-senat-will-fluechtlingszahlen-naeh-zu-verfolgen/28569310.html
[12] https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-mayor-calls-for-eu-asylum-policy-and-border-security/a-59643433
- The policy shift in Berlin, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Mayor Kai Wegner, is not only focused on reducing asylum seeker inflows but also extends to advocating for a common asylum policy within the European Union and securing European borders, as expressed by Wegner.
- Despite the strict immigration policy and increased border controls in EC countries, including Germany, human rights groups and political actors within the EU have criticized these national unilateral actions, citing their potential complications for coordinated European asylum and migration management.
