The Federal Ministry of the Interior has released its final report on asylum procedures in third countries and it is cautious in its findings. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) stated that cooperation with third countries could be another important step to limit “irregular migration.” However, she noted that experiences in the United Kingdom have shown that such attempts can result in “immense costs” and ultimately fail. The final report emphasizes the need for a coordinated approach by the European Union in cooperation with third countries.
The report concludes that implementing third country models would require extensive legal changes. The new European Union Asylum System proposes a safe third country concept, which is linked to the existence of a connection element between the asylum seeker and the third country. Even without this connection element, there would still be high legal requirements. Additionally, finding third countries willing to cooperate in such arrangements remains uncertain at this time.