Dobrindt calls for a tougher course: migration summit on the Zugspitze!

Dobrindt calls for a tougher course: migration summit on the Zugspitze!

Today, July 18, 2025, an important migration summit under the leadership of Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) gathered on the Zugspitze, the highest mountain in Germany. The participating countries – including Germany, France, Poland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Austria – face the challenge of realigning migration policy in Europe. The aim is to significantly reduce illegal migration and create uniform standards that are intended to reduce the pressure on national systems. daily news reports that Dobrindt emphasized unity, toughness and speed in migration policy at his press conference.

Dobrindt announced that Germany was ready to take responsibility in the EU and move forward. A central point of his statement was the focus on consistent deportations, including to crisis countries such as Syria and Afghanistan. At the same time, they want to focus more on attacks by criminal smuggling gangs and curb the flow of money from these networks. Another goal is to improve EU external border protection so that rejected asylum seekers can be returned more easily. Dobrindt also called for the massive expansion of the EU border protection agency Frontex in order to strengthen operational capabilities in border management, as ZDF also reports.

European cooperation and asymmetric returns

One point that Dobrindt particularly highlighted is the need for better coordination between European partners. The EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner supported this concern and spoke out in favor of faster asylum procedures and a tougher line against illegal entries. The reform of the return directive, which was proposed in spring 2025, plans to accelerate the returns of people without protection status. The EU Parliament had already approved a new border procedure for asylum decisions in April 2024, which is intended to streamline the requirements for asylum seekers and the return of rejected applications, it explains EU Parliament.

But not all voices are positive. Critics such as refugee representative Natalie Pawlik (SPD) are calling for modernization and integration instead of further isolation. Church organizations warn of the effects of the stricter measures and are campaigning for legal access routes for refugees. In this context, the removal of the link for deportations is seen as critical, as it could mean that more people can be deported to third countries without support.

Current asylum numbers and national reactions

The situation on the asylum market shows that the number of asylum applications in the EU has fallen overall. In May 2025, around 63,700 asylum applications were registered in the EU, Norway and Switzerland, which represents a decrease compared to the previous year. Germany's numbers fell from 18,800 in May 2024 to just 9,900 in May 2025. In this development, opinions on the measures must also be weighted. Poland and other countries are warning of new smuggling routes that could develop across the Baltics to circumvent tightened European controls.

In summary, it can be said that the migration summit on the Zugspitze provides a clear direction for future asylum policy in Europe, which is, however, accompanied by critical voices and a concerned public. It remains to be seen whether the intended measures will be successful.