More judges to speed up asylum proceedings in MV

Asylum - More judges to speed up asylum proceedings in MV

Administrative proceedings for rejected asylum applicants in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern often last more than a year. According to an answer from the Schwerin Justice Ministry in response to a query from FDP state legislator René Domke, at the Administrative Courts in Greifswald and Schwerin, it has hardly been possible to shorten the duration in recent years.

In 2023, the average duration of proceedings at the Administrative Court in Greifswald was 14.5 months (2022: 19.2), and in the first quarter of 2024, it was even 15.4 months. At the Administrative Court in Schwerin, the average duration of proceedings in the previous year was 13.3 months (2022: 15.1), and in the first three months of this year, it was 11.4 months.

Five additional judge positions

That's too much, the Justice Ministry also thinks and is now hiring. Five additional judge positions have been established and are currently being filled, the Ministry writes. "The Administrative Courts in Schwerin and Greifswald will thereby be put in a position to each establish an additional chamber for processing asylum proceedings."

The Federal Government and the States agreed in March to accelerate asylum proceedings and asylum appeal proceedings, so that people without residency permits can leave Germany faster. This is also intended to free up capacities, so that those who are allowed to stay can receive more support - for example, through language courses or in finding a job.

Goal: Proceedings duration under six months

According to Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP), asylum appeal proceedings on average last two years in the federal average. "Our goal must be that such proceedings will be completed in the future in less than six months," he told the Funke Media Group in mid-June.

Small inquiry and answer on asylum court proceedings in 2023 and 2024Small inquiry and answer on asylum court proceedings 2017 to 2022

1. The lengthy administrative proceedings for rejected asylum seekers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, particularly at the Administrative Courts in Greifswald and Schwerin, have been a concern for the FDP state legislator René Domke, leading to his query to the Schwerin Justice Ministry.
2. Despite the establishment of five additional judge positions at the Administrative Courts in Schwerin and Greifswald to tackle the backlog of asylum cases, the average duration of proceedings continued to decrease in both locations, with a slight increase observed in the first quarter of 2024.
3. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, reaching a goal of completing asylum appeal proceedings under six months would require cooperation between the Federal Government and the States, as seen in the March agreement to speed up asylum proceedings and appeal proceedings.
4. The FDP federal justice minister, Marco Buschmann, emphasized the importance of accelerating asylum proceedings and asylum appeal proceedings, envisioning a future where such proceedings are completed in less than six months to support those who are permitted to stay in Germany, such as through language courses or job placement services.
5. In response to a previous small inquiry by the FDP, the Schwerin Justice Ministry provided data on asylum court proceedings from 2017 to 2022, showcasing the need for continued efforts towards reducing the average duration of administrative proceedings for rejected asylum applicants in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

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