Germany hardens stance on migrant returns, seeks transfers to Italy, Greece
Germany is taking a tougher approach to migrant returns, seeking to transfer more asylum seekers to Italy and Greece under the EU’s Dublin system, according to a report citing Italian sources.
The Dublin Regulation generally places responsibility for examining an asylum application on the EU member state responsible under the regulation, often linked to the country through which the applicant first entered the EU. Germany is now seeking to make greater use of these transfer rules.
However, Italy has pushed back against Germany’s approach. Italian sources reportedly said there were currently no Dublin migrants that Italy was prepared to take back from Germany, highlighting the difficulties Berlin faces in implementing the policy.
Greece is also being considered for transfers. Germany’s efforts come as European countries continue to tighten migration policies and focus more heavily on returning people whose asylum claims are rejected or who are considered the responsibility of another EU member state.
The dispute reflects a wider problem within the European asylum system. Countries such as Italy and Greece, located on major migration routes into the EU, have traditionally faced significant pressure from arrivals, while countries farther north, including Germany, have received large numbers of asylum applications.
Germany’s tougher stance could therefore increase pressure on countries along the EU’s external borders and potentially trigger further political disagreements over how responsibility for asylum seekers should be shared across Europe.