Germany’s Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has announced new measures aimed at tightening the country’s asylum and immigration policies, including plans to deport Syrian refugees convicted of criminal offenses and suspend family reunification rights for certain refugee groups.
Speaking on Thursday, Dobrindt said Germany intends to negotiate directly with Syria to facilitate the repatriation of criminal offenders, despite the absence of a formal agreement with Damascus, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
“There are ongoing contacts with Damascus to reach an agreement on refugee returns, although no results have been finalized yet,” he told.
The minister emphasized that these negotiations would extend beyond Syria, citing Afghanistan as another country with which Germany is seeking new deportation arrangements. He criticized the current deportation framework, which relies heavily on intermediaries, as “unsustainable.”
Dobrindt reiterated the government's goal to cap annual refugee arrivals at below 200,000, arguing that “every country has limits when it comes to integration.” Germany currently hosts over 600,000 asylum seekers, along with 1.2 million Ukrainian refugees, a number the minister described as exceeding the nation’s integration capacity.
In a parallel development, the German parliament has passed a controversial law suspending family reunification rights for refugees holding subsidiary protection status for the next two years. Exceptions will be granted only for urgent humanitarian cases.
The law prevents refugees who are not covered by the Geneva Convention, and who cannot be deported due to risks such as torture or execution, from bringing first-degree relatives into the country.
Dobrindt said the new legislation aims to “break the business model of criminal gangs that exploit the current situation,” adding that it could reduce annual migration figures by approximately 12,000 people and alleviate pressure on social services.
The measure has gained support from Germany’s ruling coalition, including the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), the Social Democratic Party (SPD), and the Alternative for Germany (AfD). However, it was strongly opposed by lawmakers from The Greens and The Left, who criticized the policy for undermining humanitarian protections.
Dobrindt, a senior figure in the Christian Social Union (CSU) and Interior Minister since May 2025, has taken a notably tougher stance on immigration compared to his predecessors. He has also reintroduced stricter border controls and called for rejecting asylum seekers at entry points, with limited exceptions for vulnerable groups.
In a separate diplomatic move, Dobrindt made a surprise visit to Israel to strengthen bilateral cooperation on security and cyber defense. He emphasized the importance of learning from Israel’s experience in addressing modern security challenges and safeguarding national infrastructure.
The new deportation and asylum measures represent a significant shift in Germany’s immigration policy, drawing both praise and criticism as the country grapples with balancing humanitarian responsibilities and national security concerns.
