.
ER Editor: Inch by inch, step by step.
********
Berlin Adopts EU Asylum Reform Amid Political Wrangling
The Social Democrats are resisting attempts to harden asylum legislation further.
ZOLTAN KOTTASZ
The German government has approved draft legislation to implement European Union asylum reforms, but the drawn-out process has exposed deep divisions in Berlin and raised questions over whether Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s cabinet is any closer to delivering a coherent migration strategy.
On Wednesday, September 3rd, the cabinet gave its backing to transpose the 2024 Common European Asylum System (CEAS) reforms into national law.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and his Polish counterpart (not in picture) give a press conference as they visit the Polish-Belarusian border in Polowce-Pieszczatka, on July 21, 2025. Wojtek Radwanski / AFP
.
The EU package obliges member states to introduce identity checks at the EU’s external borders and fast-track asylum procedures for applicants from countries with low recognition rates, allowing member states to deport them directly from border facilities.
All EU states must adopt the measures by June 2026.
Germany had hoped to finalise the reforms last year, but the collapse of Olaf Scholz’s Social Democrat-led left-wing coalition derailed the process, forcing Merz’s centre-right CDU party to relaunch it this year.
The delay has exposed bitter disputes within the current coalition—made up of the CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democrats.
The Interior Ministry, led by CSU’s Alexander Dobrindt, has pushed for tougher provisions, including the detention of migrants who breach residency requirements, and restrictions on the movement of asylum seekers, while the SPD has resisted attempts to harden the legislation further.
Benefits for asylum seekers are to be reduced to a minimum under certain conditions, such as in cases of violence in accommodation centres, or failure to comply with reporting obligations.
The government only signed off after repeated postponements over these disagreements.
The draft bill must still be brought to a vote in the German parliament, and Social Democrat MPs are already signalling that they will take their time to examine the new law in detail.
Despite years of rhetoric about restoring order, asylum policy continues to be shaped by party infighting rather than strategic vision.
The legislation will probably do little to change realities on the ground. Countries lying on the EU’s external borders, such as Hungary, Greece, and Italy, have for years been calling for genuine actions to stop illegal migration: turning back migrants at the borders, making them apply for asylum outside the EU, and deporting migrants that have crossed into the EU illegally.
The government insists the reforms will strengthen border controls and improve efficiency, but the reality is that Berlin has been promising to ‘fix’ migration for years, while doing nothing.
Friedrich Merz had promised to stop illegal migrants from entering Germany at the borders, but his government has only resorted to stricter border controls.
************
••••
The Liberty Beacon Project is now expanding at a near exponential rate, and for this we are grateful and excited! But we must also be practical. For 7 years we have not asked for any donations, and have built this project with our own funds as we grew. We are now experiencing ever increasing growing pains due to the large number of websites and projects we represent. So we have just installed donation buttons on our websites and ask that you consider this when you visit them. Nothing is too small. We thank you for all your support and your considerations … (TLB)
••••
Comment Policy: As a privately owned web site, we reserve the right to remove comments that contain spam, advertising, vulgarity, threats of violence, racism, or personal/abusive attacks on other users. This also applies to trolling, the use of more than one alias, or just intentional mischief. Enforcement of this policy is at the discretion of this websites administrators. Repeat offenders may be blocked or permanently banned without prior warning.
••••
Disclaimer: TLB websites contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available to our readers under the provisions of “fair use” in an effort to advance a better understanding of political, health, economic and social issues. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving it for research and educational purposes. If you wish to use copyrighted material for purposes other than “fair use” you must request permission from the copyright owner.
••••
Disclaimer: The information and opinions shared are for informational purposes only including, but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material are not intended as medical advice or instruction. Nothing mentioned is intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Leave a Reply