Germany's new Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, has announced plans to tighten border controls in order to manage irregular migration more effectively. This initiative, which aims to increase the number of rejected asylum claims, aligns with the pre-election promises of Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative government. Dobrindt emphasized that vulnerable groups such as children and pregnant women will not be turned away at the border.
In his statements, Dobrindt indicated that the objective is to gradually reduce the volume of asylum applications and to signal a shift in Germany's immigration policy. He believes that the new approach will also facilitate discussions with neighboring countries regarding a unified European asylum system. Dobrindt contended that there is a legal basis for the proposed changes, despite concerns raised by legal experts regarding compliance with EU law.
The announcement has drawn criticism from officials in Poland and Austria. Poland's chief diplomat in Berlin, Jan Tombiński, expressed concerns that the existing border controls were already problematic for daily traffic and the EU internal market. Meanwhile, Austria's Interior Ministry referenced a European Court of Justice ruling that deemed informal returns illegal.
Dobrindt responded to the criticism by asserting that the stricter domestic policies would ultimately support a more robust European asylum framework. He argued that shifting asylum applications to external EU borders could lead to a reduction in internal border controls, thus fostering a more functional system within the EU. As the new government embarks on this policy shift, Dobrindt is expected to address these concerns, particularly during his visit to Warsaw, where he will defend the government's approach to border management.