Federal government decides asylum tightening: safer countries of origin in sight!

Federal government decides asylum tightening: safer countries of origin in sight!

Deutschland - The Federal Government decided on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, further steps to tighten asylum law. The cabinet approved plans to determine safe countries of origin by the legal ordinance, which should enable more faster asylum processing. The classification of secure countries of origin is currently regulated by law, which requires the Federal Council's consent. With the new regulations, Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) plans that these countries can be determined in the future without the approval of the federal states. As a result, this leads to a significant renovation in the asylum procedure, in which the procedures in particular are to be accelerated.

In the last parliamentary term, legal advisors for deportation and exit custody have already been introduced, which the federal government would now like to abolish. This measure is intended to make it easier to enforce deportation. The coalition partners Union and SPD also agreed in the coalition agreement to expand the list of safe countries of origin. For the beginning, Algeria, India, Morocco and Tunisia are to be included in this list.

legislative procedures and controversy

The draft law on asylum law intensification must now be advised by the Bundestag and the Federal Council. Critics, including lawyers and refugee organizations, express concerns and throwing the federal government of dealing with the federal states. The planned abolition of the mandatory legal support is particularly controversial before deportation, which is questionable as an undemocratic and constitutionally questionable. Dobrindt himself describes the measures as part of a national package for the "asylum seeker".

The regulations aim to reject asylum applications from safe countries of origin as "obviously unfounded", unless the applicants provide evidence that prove a persecution. This presumption of rule, based on political stability and the legal situation in the countries concerned, makes it difficult for applicants of countries such as Algeria or Morocco to assert their claims.

assessment and effects

The term "safe state of origin" refers to countries in which state persecution is not to be feared due to the democratic system and the political situation. This also includes states that have legal provisions that guarantee the protection of the population. However, this approach could significantly restrict access to asylum procedures and means a significant change in the previous rights for asylum seekers in Germany.

The Federal Government recognized Georgia and the Republic of Moldova as a safe countries of origin in December 2023 and the Republic of Moldova. In the future, the new regulations could follow even more countries. It remains to be seen how these measures will ultimately benefit the asylum seekers and the procedures in Germany and to what extent the country's humanitarian responsibility is played out.

For more information on current regulations and the topics of asylum and refugee protection, you can report the reporting of Tagesschau and the Bamf Visit