A German court has ruled that the government’s policy of turning asylum seekers away at its borders is illegal, marking a significant shift in the country’s approach to immigration. On Monday, the Berlin Administrative Court stated that individuals who express a desire to seek asylum at border checks within German territory cannot be sent back before determining which European Union member state is responsible for processing their claim under the EU’s Dublin Regulation.
“Persons who express the wish to seek asylum while at a border check on German territory may not be sent back,” the court said in a statement.
This ruling challenges the government’s current practices and reinforces the rights of asylum seekers under international law. The decision underscores the importance of providing a fair asylum process and could have broader implications for immigration policies across the European Union.
The Dublin Regulation assigns responsibility for processing asylum claims to the first EU country an asylum seeker enters, but the court’s decision emphasizes that Germany must honor requests made at its borders until proper jurisdiction is established.
Human rights organizations have welcomed the ruling, viewing it as a victory for the protection of refugees and migrants. The government has yet to announce whether it will appeal the decision.
