Germany Voices Criticism Over EU Proposal to Ease Refugee Deportations

Germany is expressing criticism regarding the European Union's upcoming regulation designed to simplify refugee deportations, including objections from within the Social Democratic Party, a coalition partner in Berlin's government.

Hakan Demir, the Social Democratic Party's internal policy expert, stated, "Refused asylum seekers could be detained for up to 24 months pending deportation, and no person should be imprisoned for that entire period simply because they applied for asylum."

Meanwhile, Petra Bendel, a migration specialist at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, warned that the situation remains unclear, noting that it is still unknown "which countries might agree to this, under what conditions, and what the associated costs will be."

She added that it is essential to ensure "respect for the various human rights protection standards committed to by the European Union and its member states, such as the principle of non-refoulement, protection against arbitrary detention, and procedural guarantees, through appropriate EU oversight mechanisms."

Hakan Demir, a member of the German Bundestag, does not anticipate rapid implementation of this proposal, commenting, "Regarding return centers, we are facing a debate that is more illusory than real; I do not know of any country where these procedures could be carried out."

From her side, Lamia Kaddour, a Green Party member of the German parliament, criticized the EU's approach in this matter as following the principle of "out of sight, out of mind."

She asserted that transferring responsibility to other parties cannot substitute for adopting a responsible policy.

On Monday, the European Union paved the way for establishing so-called return centers in third countries, alongside tightening other asylum-related rules. These measures aim to increase the number of deportations.

The new regulations still require approval from the European Parliament and ratification by member states before coming into force, although this step is typically procedural.

Since this concerns an EU regulation, the new provisions will apply directly in Germany without the need to amend national laws.

The centers, to be located outside the European Union, are intended to host individuals required to leave the country who cannot be returned to their countries of origin, either because those countries refuse to accept them again or because the German government does not maintain diplomatic relations with those states.

The countries that might agree to host these centers on their territory have not yet been identified.

Germany is currently working with the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, and Denmark to find a country willing to host such centers.