Berlin, Germany – The German government has announced plans to increase pressure on European Union member states to take back more asylum seekers through the Dublin System, a process that has been criticized for being slow and unevenly applied.
According to Andrea Lindholz, the deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, the current situation is unsustainable and requires a fundamental change. She emphasized that while a joint solution is desired, as long as many EU states do not follow the European asylum rules, Germany has no choice but to take matters into its own hands.
Bulgaria, for instance, only takes back around ten people per week through the Dublin System and Lindholz suggested that it should take back at least ten flights per week instead.
Hendrik Wüst, the Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, also supports the idea of cutting EU funds for member states that refuse to take back asylum seekers. Wüst argued that by not enforcing the rules, the EU’s cooperation is undermined and those who break the rules should no longer profit financially from their EU membership.
Markus Ferber, a CSU member of the European Parliament, called on the European Commission, led by Ursula von der Leyen, to ensure that Bulgaria adheres to the Dublin rules. He emphasized the need to use all available instruments to enforce compliance with the system.