Germany has secured agreements with Greece and Italy to resume the acceptance of asylum seekers previously registered in those countries, marking a significant shift in European migration policy. According to reports from “Bild”, the arrangements, brokered by German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt during a meeting of EU interior ministers in Brussels, will come into effect from June 2026.
The agreements pertain to so-called Dublin cases – instances where asylum seekers initially registered in Greece or Italy subsequently travelled to Germany. Both nations had largely resisted or been legally hindered from accepting returns in recent years, contributing to a perceived imbalance within the European Union’s asylum system.
Dobrindt hailed the deals as a “real milestone” in the implementation of the proposed European Asylum and Migration Pact, positioning Germany as a driving force behind a perceived hardening of EU migration policy. The stated aim is to curb irregular migration and bolster the operational effectiveness of the EU’s asylum procedures.
While Germany portrays the arrangements as a cooperative effort, critics argue they risk placing undue pressure on Greece and Italy, nations already grappling with significant economic and social challenges related to migration management. Concerns persist regarding the potential for human rights violations stemming from the returns, particularly given the ongoing issues with asylum processing and reception conditions in both countries.
Under the reciprocal agreements, Greece and Italy are expected to benefit from enhanced border controls and more efficient return mechanisms. Germany, in turn, is slated to be exempted from certain obligations under the EU Solidarity Mechanism until mid-2027, a move justified by acknowledging Germany’s significant past contributions to accommodating asylum seekers.
The agreements are being framed against a backdrop of increasingly stringent national and EU-level measures, including heightened border surveillance and revised asylum regulations across member states. Dobrindt’s rhetoric, emphasizing the need to “bring order” to European migration policy, underscores a broader political trend towards prioritizing border control and restrictive migration frameworks, though the long-term consequences for vulnerable populations remain a point of intense debate.