Konstanz lawyer reports Dobrindt: Asylum law under scrutiny!

Konstanz lawyer reports Dobrindt: Asylum law under scrutiny!

The issue of asylum and migration continues to cause heated debates in Germany. The Konstanz lawyer and SPD politician reported today Andreas Hennemann that he has filed a criminal complaint against the German Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) and against Dieter Romann, the President of the Federal Police Headquarters. Hennemann argues that the current rejections of those seeking protection at the borders are illegal and violate applicable law. He refers to a ruling by the Berlin Administrative Court, which has already declared the rejection of asylum seekers in Germany to be unlawful.

The dispute over rejections has deep roots. At the beginning of May 2025, Dobrindt initiated a decree that should enable the federal police to reject asylum seekers at the borders without checking them. This was done by invoking an emergency clause, which, however, is seen by many experts as a breach of the Dublin Regulation. The Berlin Administrative Court also made it clear in a recent ruling that the rejection of asylum seekers must not take place without carrying out the Dublin procedure. This was done by the WDR taken up as a major problem in the enforcement of German asylum policy.

The verdict of the Berlin Administrative Court

The judgment of the administrative court, dated LTO is quoted, not only created a clear legal situation, but also strongly questioned the Federal Government's arguments. The court described that rejections at the border were not permissible without proper examination of the asylum applications. Dobrindt described the verdict as an “individual case decision”, which Hennemann sees as a trivialization. He sees the court's decision as binding and demands that Dobrindt and Romann be held responsible.

The tension surrounding migration policy is also fueled by internal considerations within the federal government. While Dobrindt is sticking to his line, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) is already addressing the practical consequences of the ruling. He made it clear that rejections are possible within the framework of existing European law, but also sees the need to shed more light on the issue.

Future of the border police in Germany

Another aspect that is stirring up the debate surrounding the issue of migration is the demand for more border police personnel. The police unions are calling for the hiring of an additional 3,000 to 10,000 personnel, while riot police are also being deployed intensively in the border area. However, Andreas Roßkopf, the chairman of the Federal Police, warned that the extensive controls could no longer be maintained if solutions were not found soon.

The situation at the borders remains tense. More than 1,000 riot police are already deployed to deal with the challenges of migration. Merz has announced that he will continue controls at internal borders, at least until the situation at the external borders improves significantly. Another conflict that is emerging from current developments is that of the legal basis on which the federal government relies. The EU legal situation is clear here, and Dobrindt's reference to an emergency situation could prove problematic.

Overall, German asylum policy is at a crossroads. It remains to be seen whether the rejections are legally tenable or will soon be the next domino effect in an already fragile migration situation. One thing is certain: the discussion is far from over.