Buschmann will cut services for asylum seekers
Anyone entering another EU country and then coming to Germany should not have a claim to social benefits, according to Federal Justice Minister Buschmann. The FDP politician proposes funding the return costs of these asylum seekers only.
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann advocates for reducing social benefits for certain asylum applicants. These are the asylum seekers who enter Germany from another EU country.
"The Dublin System applies, which states that the EU country is responsible for a refugee in which they entered the EU. However, many still come to Germany," said the FDP politician to "Welt am Sonntag." He continued, "I mean, we could limit social benefits to the financing of return costs in these cases."
Asylum seekers already have a claim to support in their first entry country. "They cannot expect to live off the solidarity of people here if they do not want to return," he emphasized. "That may be controversial, but we must address the pull factors that are currently attracting many people to us irregularly."
Buschmann: Returns cannot be legally enforced
According to the Dublin Regulation, only one EU member state is responsible for the examination and processing of asylum applications. Factors considered include the first entry country. For example, it is also checked whether a family member is already present in another member state.
In the EU in 2023, approximately 1.05 million first-time asylum applications were filed - the highest number since 2016. Of these, around 329,035 were in Germany, which is roughly one third. Buschmann pointed out that returns of asylum seekers on German soil are not legally enforceable - due to the jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice.
"However, there are other possibilities, such as border control agreements with neighboring countries. This means that controls take place on their territory with their consent. Returns can then still be made there. And we have been doing this for a longer time."
The European Parliament has been discussing the UN-Migration Pact, which aims to coordinate global responses to migration. Despite this, Marco Buschmann, a politician from the Federal Democratic Party (FDP) in Germany, believes that asylum seekers entering Germany from other EU countries should not be entitled to social benefits. This stance is in line with his proposal to fund the return costs of these asylum seekers only.
Buschmann argues that the Dublin System, which assigns responsibility for a refugee to the EU country where they initially entered, is being overlooked. He suggests limiting social benefits to the financing of return costs in such cases, as asylum seekers already have a claim to support in their first entry country.
The FDP politician emphasizes that asylum seekers should not expect to live off the solidarity of people in Germany if they do not intend to return. He acknowledges that this view may be controversial but believes it's crucial to address the pull factors attracting migrants irregularly.
However, Buschmann acknowledges that return of asylum seekers on German soil is not legally enforceable due to the jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court and the European Court of Justice. He proposes exploring other possibilities, such as border control agreements with neighboring countries, to enable returns.
In 2023, the EU received a record 1.05 million first-time asylum applications, with roughly one-third of them filed in Germany. Buschmann highlights that despite the challenges, there are still opportunities to manage migration effectively within the framework of EU asylum law.
