New campaign on asylum: Germany cancels protection for asylum seekers from ten countries
Germany has taken a new step to tighten the asylum system, after the cabinet approved the addition of ten countries to the list of "safe countries of origin", significantly limiting the access of asylum seekers from these countries to international protection.
The decision was adopted on January 23 by the government headed by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and will come into effect on February 2. Under the new regulation, international protection will generally not be granted to asylum seekers from classified countries, as their applications will be considered unjustified.
The countries recently added to the list of safe countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Ghana, Kosovo, Moldova/Republic, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Senegal, and Serbia. A government spokesperson stated that this step aims to expedite asylum procedures and alleviate pressure on states and municipalities by reducing lengthy administrative processes.
The regulation applies to international protection according to the directives of the European Union. The current constitutional rules regarding eligibility for asylum under the German Basic Law remain unchanged, meaning that the reform is limited in scope but has a significant practical impact.
According to reports, more than 5,000 people applied for asylum last year from these ten countries, including over 1,600 from Georgia alone. Under the new rules, these applications will now be rejected without detailed examination. Immigration lawyer Philip Bruey explained that German asylum law generally assumes that there is no political persecution in safe countries of origin, and that refuting this assumption is only possible in very rare exceptional cases.
Stricter classifications impose additional restrictions on affected asylum seekers, including an absolute ban on work. The government asserts that the changes will reduce the abuse of the asylum system, while critics warn that these measures may limit vulnerable groups' access to protection.