German Cabinet approves laws to implement EU asylum reform

The German Cabinet has approved two amendments needed to implement the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in Germany, translating the European Union reform package, "one for one," the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also intended to apply the CEAS rules for external borders at German airports ahead of the deadline for enacting the EU laws in mid-2026, the ministry said.

It added that agreement between the federal government and the 16 states was needed for external borders procedures at seaports and international airports on account of the accommodation capacities needed.

The draft legislation also lays down that, in cases where Germany intends to take in asylum seekers and recognized refugees from another EU member state, people representing a threat to security are identified by means of personal screening and rejected.

In the case of a threat to security and public order, there will be no deadline for leaving, "rather the deportation and return should occur as soon as possible."

The Cabinet decision means "that Germany is implementing the new law rapidly and comprehensively," Faeser said, pledging to work for rapid implementation of the reform across the EU.

The deadline for implementing the CEAS reform agreed by the EU member states is June 2026, until when the current rules will continue to apply.

The reform provides for compulsory identity checks on arrival. Asylum seekers with an EU-wide protection rate of under 20% will undergo their asylum procedure at the external borders of the EU.

According to figures from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), around 179,000 people made an initial application for asylum in Germany in the first nine months of this year.