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Japan Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Japan Today
Germany and EU allies push for asylum crackdown and more deportations
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth By Jörn Poltz and Riham Alkousaa Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and five European counterparts agreed on a set of goals on Friday to tighten asylum rules in the bloc, including allowing deportations to Afghanistan and Syria. The meeting at Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlin's decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighboring countries but drew significant criticism. It comes almost exactly a decade after former German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's borders to nearly a million refugees fleeing war and persecution, a landmark decision that reshaped European politics. Dobrindt met counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. The agreed asylum policy goals, which require approval from Brussels, include removing legislative obstacles to transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centers outside the EU and enabling asylum procedures in third countries. Germany's new government has already placed curbs on migration including suspending family reunification and resettlement programs, as it seeks to regain support from voters drawn to the far-right Alternative for Germany, which made historic gains in February's federal election. On Friday Germany deported 81 Afghan men to Afghanistan. "We are all concerned that the overburdening of our countries by illegal migration is also contributing massively to the polarization of society. We want to push back this polarization," Dobrindt said. Deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria should be reinstated as standard practice, with citizens from countries failing to cooperate on deportations to face visa restrictions, a joint declaration said. Trade, and development aid will also be used as leverage to boost returns and strengthen migration cooperation, the document said, pressing for increasing deployment of drones and more EU funding for border infrastructure and personnel. The countries agreed to combat smugglers and work to dismantle human trafficking networks. Asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU country will be quickly rejected if they claim asylum elsewhere in the bloc. "Once we seal the external border, there will be no need for internal border controls," Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said. Siemoniak said he discussed the border controls Germany introduced unilaterally at its border with Dobrindt, adding that Poland is ready to waive the controls at its border once Germany does the same. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Germany's Dobrindt, EU ministers propose radical shift in asylum policy to ease migration strain
The meeting at Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlin's decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism read more European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Reuters Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and five European counterparts agreed on a set of goals on Friday to tighten asylum rules in the bloc, including allowing deportations to Afghanistan and Syria. The meeting at Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlin's decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism. It comes almost exactly a decade after former German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's borders to nearly a million refugees fleeing war and persecution, a landmark decision that reshaped European politics. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Dobrindt met counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. The agreed asylum policy goals, which require approval from Brussels, include removing legislative obstacles to transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centres outside the EU and enabling asylum procedures in third countries. Germany's new government has already placed curbs on migration including suspending family reunification and resettlement programmes, as it seeks to regain support from voters drawn to the far-right Alternative for Germany, which made historic gains in February's federal election. On Friday Germany deported 81 Afghan men to Afghanistan. 'We are all concerned that the overburdening of our countries by illegal migration is also contributing massively to the polarization of society. We want to push back this polarization,' Dobrindt said. Deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria should be reinstated as standard practice, with citizens from countries failing to cooperate on deportations to face visa restrictions, a joint declaration said. Trade, and development aid will also be used as leverage to boost returns and strengthen migration cooperation, the document said, pressing for increasing deployment of drones and more EU funding for border infrastructure and personnel. The countries agreed to combat smugglers and work to dismantle human trafficking networks. Asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU country will be quickly rejected if they claim asylum elsewhere in the bloc. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Once we seal the external border, there will be no need for internal border controls,' Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said. Siemoniak said he discussed the border controls Germany introduced unilaterally at its border with Dobrindt, adding that Poland is ready to waive the controls at its border once Germany does the same.
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Germany and EU allies push for asylum crackdown and more deportations
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, July 18, 2025. REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and five European counterparts agreed on a set of goals on Friday to tighten asylum rules in the bloc, including allowing deportations to Afghanistan and Syria as standard practice. The meeting at Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlin's decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism. Dobrindt met with his counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner. The asylum policy goals agreed on Friday, which require approval from Brussels, include removing legislative obstacles to transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centres outside the EU and enabling asylum procedures in third countries. "We share the conviction that Europe must act with determination and unity to reduce illegal migration effectively," a joint document shared by the German interior ministry said. Deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria should be reinstated as standard practice, with citizens from countries failing to cooperate on deportations to face visa restrictions, the document said. The meeting comes after Germany's new government deported 81 Afghan men by plane to their home country on Friday, marking the latest step in the government's push to crack down on migration since it took office in May. (Reporting by Joern Poltz and Riham Alkousaa, Editing by Friederike Heine)
