German govt to ask EU court to rule on migrant turnbacks
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt says Germany will seek a European Court of Justice on legality of migrant turnbacks German politician accuses migrant activists of "staging" an incident at the border with Poland German businesses are more positive about US trade negotiations after Merz-Trump talks Firefighters extinguish blaze at former operetta in Dresden
Here's a look at the latest news from Germany on Saturday, June 7
Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the German government would seek a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on the legality of migrant turnbacks at the border.
Dobrindt's comments to the Funke media group follow a ruling by a court in Berlin on Monday that the refusal to allow three Somali nationals to enter last month was unlawful.
The court ruled that on May 9, border guards failed to initiate proper asylum procedures and returned the trio to Poland.
According to the court, Germany should have applied the European Union's so-called Dublin Regulation, establishing which country is responsible for the asylum claim of the migrants, before they were sent back.
The Dublin rule specifies which EU state should process an asylum application, partly to prevent arrivals from making claims in wealthier countries rather than the first EU nation that they entered.
Dobrindt said the government would provide its rationale for invoking Article 72 — a special clause under EU law that permits exceptions to the Dublin rule in emergencies.
"We will submit sufficient justification, but the European Court of Justice should decide on the matter," Dobrindt said, adding: "I am convinced that our actions are in line with European law."
Dobrindt insisted that Germany had to crack down on illegal migration, which he said would prevent the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party from pushing more radical solutions.
Germany introduced tougher border checks on May 7, including new rules allowing asylum seekers to be turned away at the border for the first time
In the first days of the new rule, 19 people who had applied for asylum were denied entry, along with nearly 300 other migrants, German media reported. Following this week's court ruling, the cabinet approved even stricter measures.
Guten Tag! DW is bringing you updates from across Germany, where Trump's tariffs, migrant turnbacks and a former operetta in Dresden are making headlines.
After Chancellor Friedrich Merz met US President Donald Trump at the White House, German businesses are hopeful of a breakthrough in trade talks with the United States.
Following a Berlin Administrative Court ruling that the government's policy of turning away migrants at the border was illegal, Germany's interior minister has vowed to go to the European Court of Justice.
Also, parts of the former state operetta building in Dresden, eastern Germany, are at risk of collapse after a major fire.
We'll have the latest headlines, analyses, multimedia content, and DW on-the-ground reporting on everything to do with Germany.
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