Migration: EU tightens asylum rules – reform comes into force

The new rules are also intended to prevent those seeking protection from moving further within the EU – for example coming to Germany from Greece or Italy. This so-called secondary migration repeatedly caused conflicts between member states over the years.

Endless controversial topic?

While the states at the external borders felt left alone with the many refugees, countries like Germany and France insisted on the rules of responsibility. They stipulate that the EU country in which a person seeking protection was first registered is always responsible for an asylum procedure. In many cases, however, Italy and Greece refused to take back those seeking protection who had already fled to Germany.

In order to create a balance and relieve the burden on states at the external borders, there is now a so-called solidarity mechanism in the Common European Asylum System (GEAS). EU states with particularly large numbers of arrivals of protection seekers should be relieved through financial contributions, benefits in kind or by taking on asylum seekers. When it came into force, EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said that Geas would strengthen trust between member states and give Europe more control.

Germany does not initially have to make a contribution

Germany does not have to contribute to a solidarity pool that has already been negotiated for the current year, as the Federal Republic is credited with the many asylum seekers for whom other countries would actually have been responsible. Deadlines for repatriation have now expired, which is why Germany had to assume responsibility for many of these procedures anyway. The same applies to France.

In addition, the so-called border procedures are intended to relieve the burden on the asylum system. In particular, people with little prospect of a positive asylum decision should go through such an accelerated procedure with a maximum duration of twelve weeks. During this time, you must expect that you will not be allowed to leave special reception centers that the EU countries in particular have set up at the external border.

Berlin-Brandenburg Airport puts special facility into operation

As a country in the middle of Europe, Germany only has internal EU borders. If someone enters the country by plane or ship and then applies for asylum, external border procedures will also exist in this country – for example in Munich and Frankfurt am Main, where large international airports are located. There will be a total of 374 places in appropriate accommodation, some of which are still being built. A new external border facility will go into operation today at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport. Further facilities in other federal states are being planned.