German government to introduce new asylum procedure, allowing for faster processing of claims from certain countries.
The German cabinet is set to pass a bill on Wednesday, enabling the government to decide which asylum seekers from which countries can be subject to expedited procedures. According to the Tagesspiegel, the government aims to accelerate the process of designating more countries as “safe of origin” by bypassing the need for the federal states’ approval, as was the case in the past.
This move is in line with the coalition agreement between the CDU and the SPD, which mentioned the intention to enable the government to make such decisions through a regulatory ordinance, specifically for countries in the Maghreb region, such as Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia. As a result, the designation of these countries would only be made in reference to the EU Asylum Procedure Directive, rather than the German Constitution, thereby eliminating the need for the federal states’ approval.
According to Kanzleramtsminister Thorsten Frei, this new approach could be a crucial step in ordering, steering and limiting migration in the future. He also hopes that the new regulations will enable the faster repatriation of individuals from these countries who do not have a right to stay in Germany.
The Greens, however, have sharply criticized the government’s plans, describing the move as ineffective in addressing real challenges and merely intended to signal toughness and consequences. The party’s leader, Felix Banaszak, questioned whether the SPD is genuinely part of the coalition, given its willingness to appease the CDU’s voters at the expense of its own principles.