Interior ministers are relying on stricter border controls: reducing refugee numbers!

Interior ministers are relying on stricter border controls: reducing refugee numbers!

The federal and state interior ministers successfully concluded their conference on migration and asylum policy in Bremerhaven yesterday. The central aim of these discussions: to reduce the number of refugees coming to Germany. In this context, Bremen's Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) pointed out that over 600,000 people have fled to Germany in the last two years. “It cannot continue like this,” he made clear, which underlines the need for action.
The results and measures will now be specified in a planned press conference. The focus will also be on the effectiveness of the border controls ordered by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU). This measure, which has been particularly criticized, was aimed at preventing unauthorized entry and will be examined in more detail in a conversation with representatives of the federal police.

As the ZDFheute reported that the border controls are already showing initial success. The number of arrivals at the initial reception center in Eisenhüttenstadt, which is located not far from the German-Polish border, has fallen by half compared to the previous year. The head of the facility, Olaf Jansen, attributes this to the effectively implemented border controls. These controls have been carried out at the borders with Denmark, Belgium and other countries since September 2023. 20 to 30 people still arrive in Eisenhüttenstadt every day, but there are still positive developments.

Rejections and their controversies

At the Interior Ministers' Conference there was a heated debate about the rejection of asylum seekers at the borders. Union interior ministers are calling for these rejections to be implemented consistently in order to further limit illegal migration. Bavaria's Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann emphasized the necessity of this measure, while SPD representative Andy Grote argued vehemently against it and pointed to the urgent implementation of new EU asylum rules.
Interestingly, the reports South German newspaper that the rejection of migrants in asylum cases is now possible again. Dobrindt repealed an earlier directive from 2015 that had ruled out exactly this.

The statistics also show that the number of unauthorized entries fell from 130,000 in 2023 to around 83,500 in 2024. Nevertheless, challenges remain, such as security at the border with Poland, where more federal police officers are stationed than before. In the period between September 2024 and April 2025, the federal police registered over 33,000 unauthorized entries and carried out 21,000 rejections. Another aspect of this discussion is the agreement among the interior ministers on the continuation of border controls beyond March 2025, which has been heavily discussed in recent months.

The complicated situation surrounding asylum and migration policy is also influenced by the different political views within the government. While the Union promotes a tough hand towards asylum seekers, the SPD relies on a balanced approach that emphasizes the legal framework and the humane treatment of those affected. In any case, it will be crucial to find a common consensus, especially when dealing with the AfD and its views on this sensitive issue.