Germany, EU Ministers Agree to Tighten Asylum, Resume Deportations

Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, along with counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, and EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner, convened on Germany's Zugspitze mountain to agree on a coordinated effort to tighten asylum policies across the European Union. The ministers endorsed measures including the resumption of deportations to countries like Afghanistan and Syria, establishing return hubs outside the EU, and enabling asylum procedures in third countries, all aimed at curbing illegal migration and social tensions within the bloc. These proposals call for harmonizing legal frameworks to ease deportations, removing legislative obstacles for transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centers outside the EU, and imposing visa restrictions on non-cooperating countries, pending approval from Brussels. Germany demonstrated its commitment to this stricter stance by deporting 81 Afghan nationals to their Taliban-controlled homeland, a move that drew criticism from human rights groups concerned about conditions in Afghanistan. The policy shift follows Germany's earlier decision to reject asylum seekers at the border and suspends family reunification programs, aiming to address voter concerns amid rising support for the far-right Alternative for Germany party. The ministers emphasized that effective returns are essential to maintain trust in European migration policy and pledged to bring these proposals into relevant EU institutions for implementation.