German Churches Oppose Suspension of Refugee Family Reunification

German churches have voiced strong opposition to the government’s plan to suspend family reunification for certain categories of refugees for two years. They consider the proposal, put forward by Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, as inconsistent with Christian values and ethically troubling. Christian Stäblein, Bishop of Berlin and the Evangelical Church’s Commissioner for Refugees, urged…

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Germany Adds Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, and India to List of Safe Countries of Origin 

The Black-Red coalition government has announced plans to draft a new bill amending the Immigration and Asylum Act. The proposed legislation seeks to revise the criteria for designating countries as safe for deportation and to eliminate the government’s obligation to provide legal representation for individuals held in detention pending deportation. The coalition has agreed to…

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Border Measures Are Temporary, Says German Official

Torsten Frey, Minister of State at the German Chancellery, stated that the implementation of strict border controls and rejections at the EU’s external borders is intended to be temporary. He acknowledged uncertainty around whether the government would declare a national emergency but emphasized that border controls are currently necessary to ensure effective protection of the…

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German Interior Ministry Deems Third-Country Asylum Processing Unfeasible

The Federal Ministry of Interior’s report indicates that practical and legal obstacles hinder the processing of asylum applications in third countries outside the European Union (EU). Implementing such a measure would not effectively address irregular migration and is not feasible on a collective level. The report team has analyzed models that various European countries have…

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Lithuania Launches Probe into Misallocated EU Aid Meant for Ukrainian Refugees   

The Lithuanian Ministry of Social Security and Labor has launched an investigation following the disbursement of one million euros in aid, which was allocated by the European Union for Ukrainian refugees, to different displaced persons. According to Lithuanian National Radio, the aid was mistakenly distributed to refugees from 43 different countries, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan,…

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EU Weighs Policy Shift to Allow Deportation of Asylum Seekers to Third Countries

The European Commission is set to announce a proposal aimed at reforming the deportation system for rejected asylum seekers. This proposal includes amending the criteria for designating safe countries for deportation, eliminating the requirement for a connection between the individual and the country of deportation, and considering the option to proceed with deportations even if…

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