Germany is facing significant hurdles in executing the Dublin Regulation, with only a fraction of attempted transfers of asylum seekers to other European Union countries proving successful. The Dublin Regulation mandates that asylum claims be processed in the first EU member state where a migrant is registered, sought protection, or entered. However, recent reports indicate that Germany’s efforts have fallen short.
In 2023, Germany submitted 74,622 requests to other EU nations to accept migrants under the Dublin Regulation. Despite this high number of requests, only 5,053 individuals were transferred to other countries, according to figures reported by the German press agency dpa. Notably, Germany managed to transfer only 11 asylum seekers to Italy throughout the entire year out of a total of 15,479 transfer requests. Austria emerged as the country accepting the most asylum seekers transferred by Germany under the Dublin rules, with 1,534 individuals received.
These revelations come from data obtained by Germany’s opposition conservative coalition, the CDU/CSU, in response to a parliamentary inquiry. The German government is now seeking collaboration with the European Commission and other EU nations to enhance the implementation of the Dublin rules.
The Dublin Regulation dictates that the country where asylum seekers first enter Europe must process their asylum application. This responsibility includes registering the asylum seeker; if they pass through a country without registering and instead apply for asylum elsewhere, the latter country becomes responsible for their asylum procedure. However, asylum seekers can apply for asylum in Germany if they are not registered elsewhere.
Despite Germany’s efforts, many transfer requests failed to materialize for various reasons. Refusals by other EU countries to accept migrants and individual decisions by German courts blocking transfers contributed to the challenges. Additionally, some asylum seekers effectively resisted transfer attempts, further complicating the process.
The European Parliament is set to vote on comprehensive reforms to the bloc’s asylum and migration policies, including streamlined asylum reviews at the EU’s external borders. These reforms ensure responsibility sharing among member states, efficient crisis response, and adherence to human rights standards.