Germany EU wants to deport asylum seekers to third countries more easily
The EU is creating the basis for a significantly stricter deportation policy.
18.12.2025, 02:25
SDA
In future, Germany and other EU member states will be allowed to deport people seeking protection to countries with which they have no connection, according to an agreement reached by representatives of the member states and the European Parliament.
Until now, it was necessary for asylum seekers to have a close connection to such a third country, for example through family members or a longer stay. According to the EU member states' proposal, in future it could be sufficient if there is an agreement between a member state and the third country.
The change in the law still has to be confirmed by the EU Parliament and the EU member states. Normally, this is a formality if the negotiators of the institutions have previously agreed on a compromise.
This means that people seeking protection can also be deported to countries they have never been to and to which they have no family, cultural or other ties. This so-called link element will be optional. For unaccompanied minors, however, there is the exception demanded by the EU member states. For them, a connecting element to the country to which they are to be deported remains a necessary condition.
Is Europe trying out the "Rwanda model"?
This is also intended to create the legal basis for the so-called Rwanda model. Great Britain wanted to bring asylum seekers to Rwanda, who would then stay there if they were granted protection status after the examination.
The plan was never actually implemented, partly due to court rulings - the new Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer ultimately overturned the asylum pact with Rwanda. According to the British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, the project cost more than 700 million pounds (around 830 million euros).
German government had examined feasibility
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior had examined the various options for outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries - including the "Rwanda model". A final report published in May came to the conclusion: legally possible in principle, but in some cases associated with considerable practical difficulties.
In a statement from the Ministry of the Interior at the time, it was said that applying third country models to a large number of asylum seekers was "unrealistic". This would also apply in the event that the connecting element - as now envisaged - was no longer mandatory.
Previously there was criticism of the right-wing majority
The European Parliament had cleared the way for negotiations at midday with a right-wing majority. The majority of MEPs from right-of-center groups, including AfD MEPs, voted in favour of the project. The Left, Greens and Social Democrats voted against.
Criticism came from all three camps - including the approach of the EPP group in the European Parliament, which includes the CDU and CSU. Erik Marquardt, leader of the Greens in the EU Parliament, criticized the EPP for wanting to tighten asylum policy as quickly and extremely as possible and accepting cooperation with "right-wing extremists, climate deniers and Putin lobbyists" in order to do so.
The EPP argues that it does not actively cooperate with right-wing extremists on legislative projects. The firewall also stands at European level, EPP leader Manfred Weber (CSU) had said in the past.
EPP MEP and negotiator Lena Düpont praised the agreement reached during the night. "It provides the Member States with the necessary instruments to make procedures more efficient", said the CDU politician. It was regrettable that social democrats and left-wing parties had attempted to block the reforms and thus once again refused to engage in an objective debate on the real challenges of irregular migration.
Asylum reform to be amended before application
The handling of the so-called link element was already up for debate last year during the negotiations on the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS). The Greens, part of the then governing Ampel coalition in Germany, had always rejected its deletion.
In the end, it was decided that the connecting element should be reviewed again after a period of time as a necessary condition - but will remain mandatory for the time being. This necessity for deportations to third countries will now be abolished before the European asylum reform comes into force in the middle of next year.
No agreement yet on safe countries of origin
In addition to the so-called third country solution, representatives of EU member states and the European Parliament have also negotiated an EU-wide list of safe countries of origin. According to the proposal, this would allow people to be deported more quickly to Morocco, Tunisia or Egypt, for example. Kosovo, Colombia and the South Asian states of India and Bangladesh are also to be added to the list.
In principle, countries that are candidates for EU membership should also be considered safe. This would include Albania, Montenegro and Turkey. No agreement could be reached on this in the evening.
