(de-news.net) — Germany, in concert with several neighboring states, has reached a consensus to further intensify the European Union’s asylum regulations beyond the scope originally envisioned. According to Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), following deliberations with interior ministers from five EU member states and the European Commissioner for Home Affairs atop the Zugspitze, the European asylum system must undergo fortification.
Among the specific measures outlined, the German Federal Minister announced plans for expedited asylum proceedings and a significant increase in the repatriation of refugees. There was unanimous agreement on the imperative to accelerate procedural timelines and to discontinue protracted verification processes, Dobrindt emphasized, adding that Germany no longer occupies the “brake van,” but has assumed the role of the locomotive in driving reform.
The concluding communiqué issued by the six participating states asserts that the EU migration and asylum package adopted in 2024 should be implemented with urgency and subjected to further tightening. Future asylum proceedings ought to be permissible in third countries situated outside the EU, and deportations should, as a general principle, include destinations such as Syria and Afghanistan.
Dobrindt pointed out specifically that he seeks to facilitate the accommodation of refugees outside the territorial bounds of Europe. To this end, the removal of the so-called ‘connection requirement’ is being proposed, with the intention of enabling arrangements involving third countries. The underlying principle to be established is that ‘protection by the EU’ need not necessarily entail ‘protection within the EU.’ According to current European agreements, an asylum seeker must possess a tangible connection to a non-European third country in which they are physically present while an asylum procedure—intended to govern eventual residence in an EU member state—is being conducted. The establishment of ‘Return Hubs’ situated in third countries is also envisaged. These facilities would serve as operational centers from which the repatriation of asylum seekers could be executed.
Dobrindt characterized the outcome of the consultations with his counterparts as “a tangible signal of unity, visibility, and collective commitment.” Present at the meeting were the interior ministers from France, Poland, Austria, Denmark, and the Czech Republic. Germany’s recently intensified border control measures elicited criticism from neighboring states. The summit held at the Zugspitze was intended as the launch point for a broader initiative aimed at the European Commission, one that includes enhancing the protection of the EU’s external borders.
