The German federal court has declared that border police must assess the asylum claims of individuals arriving from neighboring EU states. This decision, issued on June 2, 2025, challenges recent directives from Chancellor Friedrich Merz's administration aimed at curbing land migration.
**German Court Upholds Asylum Seekers' Rights Amid Migration Policy Changes**
**German Court Upholds Asylum Seekers' Rights Amid Migration Policy Changes**
A recent Berlin court ruling mandates that asylum seekers from EU countries must have their claims reviewed, impacting new migration policies set by the government.
The ruling originated from a case involving three Somali refugees who were denied entry into Germany and returned to Poland. This legal action called into question a directive from Merz’s interior minister, Alexander Dobrindt, who had instructed the police to turn back certain asylum seekers in line with the administration's commitment to reducing incoming refugee numbers. It remains uncertain how much this ruling will hinder the government's migration control efforts, especially as they pause a sponsorship program for family members of asylum seekers. Despite the court's decision, Dobrindt maintains that the ruling affects only the specific cases and assures that his policies at the border will continue unchanged.
