Egypt Daily News – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz confirmed that the court ruling deeming the deportation of three Somali asylum seekers by border police illegal may restrict his government’s immigration campaign, but it will not stop it entirely. He added that authorities would continue to remove arrivals at the border.
Speaking at a local government conference on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Chancellor Merz said that the court decision, which ruled that the border authority’s removal of three asylum seekers upon their arrival at the German border was unlawful, “may limit the scope of action, but the scope still exists. We know that we can still refuse people and of course, we will do so within the framework of European law, but we will also do it to protect public safety and order in our country, and to ease the burden on cities and municipalities.”
On Monday, an administrative court in Berlin ruled that the deportation of the three Somali asylum seekers, whose names were not disclosed and who were sent back to Poland after arriving at a train station in eastern Germany was “illegal.” The court stated that the asylum applications must be processed by Germany under the so-called Dublin Regulation of the European Union, which determines the country responsible for handling an asylum request.
The ruling is a setback for Merz’s government, which won the federal elections in February after pledging a crackdown on immigration, a topic that has raised concerns in neighboring countries.
German Interior Minister on Deportation Policy
For his part, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt expressed his continued commitment to the policy of deporting asylum seekers at Germany’s borders, despite the court ruling raising doubts about its legality. Speaking in Berlin on Monday, Dobrindt said, “We also stand by our legal position.” He repeatedly emphasized that the ruling concerned an individual case, adding, “There is no reason for us to change our practice based on a ruling made today in this specific case.”
The administrative court in Berlin ruled in a preliminary decision that deporting asylum seekers at internal border checkpoints within German territory is unlawful. The court determined that such individuals cannot be turned away without following the so-called “Dublin procedure.” The Dublin rules determine which EU country is responsible for examining the asylum application.
The case in question involves three Somalis who were deported on May 9 from the German border city of Frankfurt (Oder) to Poland, under the new regulations.
Border Surveillance Intensified
The minister, who belongs to the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU), stated he intends to follow up on the case through the main court procedure. He expressed confidence that “the final ruling will clearly be in our favor.” He added, “The court mentioned that the reasoning behind our measures should have been more detailed,” noting that such details would be provided later.
On May 7, just hours after taking office as Interior Minister, Dobrindt ordered intensified border inspections. He also issued directives allowing German police to send asylum seekers back to the country they came from at the border, excluding pregnant women, children, and other vulnerable groups.
According to Dobrindt, between May 8 and June 1, 2,850 people were turned away at the German border. Of those, 179 applied for asylum—138 applications were rejected, and the remaining 41 were classified as vulnerable individuals.
He explained that the three Somali individuals who filed a lawsuit in Berlin had previously tried to enter Germany on May 2 and 3 without applying for asylum and only did so on their third attempt on May 9. “This particular example shows just how difficult and complex the current situation is,” Dobrindt said. “It also clearly demonstrates how dysfunctional the entire asylum system has become.”
