German court rules rejection of asylum seekers by border control as unlawful
The German federal police patrols along the German-Polish border area in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, October 28, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi/File Photo
BERLIN - A German administrative court has ruled the rejection of asylum seekers by border control on German territory as unlawful, a court statement said on Monday.
The statement cited the instance of three unnamed Somali applicants, two men and one woman, who were turned back and returned to Poland on the grounds that they had sought to enter Germany from a safe country.
Monday's ruling could challenge the tougher migration stance by Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative-led coalition, which was elected in February promising a crackdown.
The interior ministry had no immediate comment.
"The rejection of the applicants was unlawful," the Berlin court said in a statement, adding that the asylum application should have been processed by Germany under the European Union's so-called Dublin rules.
"However, the applicants could not demand to enter the Federal Republic of Germany beyond the border crossing," it added, saying that the application could be processed at or near the border. REUTERS
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