The court’s decision came after a challenge to the Interior Minister’s new border regime,which was implemented shortly after Alexander Dobrindt took office in early May. The court found that rejecting asylum seekers at the border without due process is illegal.

“The scope is still there,” said Chancellor Friedrich Merz,regarding the rejection of asylum seekers.

the case involved two men and a woman from Somalia who arrived in Germany by train from Poland.On May 9, they were stopped by federal police at Frankfurt station in Brandenburg. After they applied for asylum, they were instantly sent back to Poland. The federal police claimed they were rejected because they had entered Germany from a safe third contry. Though,the Berlin Administrative court ruled that the Dublin procedure dictates which country is responsible for processing the asylum application,and these procedures must be followed. The court’s resolutions are incontestable,as stipulated in the German Asylum Act.

Despite the court ruling,Interior minister Dobrindt maintains his stance on migration and intends to continue rejecting asylum seekers. According to the CSU politician, the Berlin Administrative Court’s judgment was based on an individual case. He stated that the court had requested more detailed reasons for the rejection, which will be provided. Chancellor Friedrich Merz also supports rejecting asylum seekers, stating, “The scope is still there.”

sebastian Fiedler of the SPD, the coalition partner, stated that Dobrindt would need to explain how his policies align with the coalition agreement. “The issue of the ministry and the presidents of the Federal Police must be compatible with there’s no doubt whatsoever with European law, German law and our claim to help those seeking protection.” The coalition agreement mentions rejections of asylum seekers “in coordination with our European neighbors,” but the specifics were not defined.

Dobrindt’s initial decision in May to implement stricter border controls, as promised by the CDU and CSU during the election campaign, was met with immediate criticism. Neighboring Poland and Austria expressed strong disagreement, and Switzerland also voiced concerns.

Foreign editor Veronika Meier described the judgment as a “defeat” for Dobrindt and Chancellor Friedrich Merz, arguing that the german government had overstepped its bounds and must reconsider its controversial migration practices. According to Meier, migrants can no longer be rejected without a thorough examination of their asylum application. However, the court clarified that the Dublin procedure can still be applied at the border or in areas close to the border, as long as it is within German territory.