Rejection at national borders: UNHCR is concerned about German asylum policy

Since last week, federal police officers have been required to deny entry to asylum seekers crossing the land border into Germany. The UN Refugee Agency views this change with concern for one specific reason.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has criticized the tightened German border controls. The UNHCR is "concerned about the German government's recent decision to no longer accept asylum applications at the country's borders," said Katharina Thote, UNHCR Representative in Germany. Germany has been one of the agency's closest partners for decades and an important host country for refugees.

Last week, the new Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt of the CSU, instructed the federal police to intensify border controls and also to turn back asylum seekers. However, women with small children, heavily pregnant women, seriously ill people, and other "vulnerable individuals" will still be allowed to enter.

International law does not require refugees to apply for asylum in the first country they reach, said the UNHCR representative. Returns or transfers to safe third countries are possible under certain conditions. It is therefore important, firstly, that the rights under the Geneva Refugee Convention are respected there and, secondly, that the arrangement contributes to a fair sharing of responsibility for refugees among states. However, closing national borders to all asylum seekers could undermine this fair sharing, Thote said.

Thote called on the German government to "focus on the current framework conditions among EU member states to manage the arrival of asylum seekers and distribute them fairly across the region." Efficient processing of asylum applications and improved reception conditions would also accelerate the integration of recognized refugees and facilitate the return of those without a right to remain. The UNHCR is ready to discuss these challenges with the German authorities "and develop practical alternatives."

Number of asylum seekers has been declining for months

Even before Dobrindt's directive to the Federal Police, foreigners without visas could be turned back at the border. This affected people who had not applied for asylum, as well as people against whom a temporary entry ban had been imposed—for example, after deportation.

A spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior said it is still too early to definitively assess the impact of the new measures. The number of asylum applications was already declining before the change. Since the beginning of the year, 45,681 people have applied for asylum for the first time in Germany. That is almost half as many as in the same period last year.