Germany Shuts Door on Undocumented Migrants

May 8, 2025 – Berlin, Germany

Germany’s new government has decided to send undocumented immigrants, including some asylum seekers, back to the border. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the change on Wednesday, saying the goal is to reduce the number of people entering the country without proper papers.

This new rule replaces a 2015 policy made by former Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had allowed undocumented migrants, especially those fleeing war, to enter Germany. Dobrindt said the new policy is not about closing the borders completely but about controlling them more strictly.

He said some exceptions would be made for vulnerable people, like pregnant women and children. However, the plan to reject some asylum seekers is a big change from the previous government’s approach.

“We will increase the number of people we turn away and send more police to the borders,” Dobrindt said. He added that 3,000 more officers will be sent to the borders, bringing the total number of border police to 14,000.

Police officers have already been told to prepare for longer shifts—up to 12 hours a day—to carry out these new tasks.

The new rules were introduced just one day after the new government, led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, officially started work. Merz’s government, a mix of conservative and Social Democratic parties, has promised to be tougher on irregular migration.

Before the February elections, Merz had promised to tighten migration controls after a rise in violent crimes blamed on foreigners. Since taking office, his administration has committed to:

1 Rejecting some asylum seekers at the border
2 Permit deportations to Syria
3 Halt family reunification for certain migrants

Migration has become a contentious issue in Germany. The nation hosts approximately 2.5 million refugees, of whom more than one million are from Ukraine. Many Germans now say they want fewer immigrants in the country.

In the recent elections, the far-right party AfD gained more support by focusing on anti-immigration policies. In April, Germany also paused a UN refugee program that had brought in refugees from countries like Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Kenya.

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