Germany expels 10,000 migrants from its borders

The Interior Minister stated that since the new conservative-led coalition government took office in May, Germany has turned back more than 10,000 migrants at its borders.

Alexander Dobrindt, a close ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, said that the tougher border measures have proven effective and that the German government intends to extend them after September.

He said: “Since May 8, we have turned back more than 10,000 illegal migrants from our borders, including 550 asylum seekers. It has become clear that without such measures, nothing changes at the borders, which is why asylum applications are decreasing.”

Dobrindt argued that the German government’s stricter measures have been highly effective, have changed global perceptions, and have made everyone aware of Germany’s new migration policy. “To maintain this success, we will extend these controls beyond September. All measures are in line with national and European laws,” he added.

During Chancellor Merz’s election campaign in February, the conservative Christian Democrats had promised tougher action to curb migration.

After forming a coalition government in May, they implemented broader border controls with neighboring countries, even though those countries are EU members.

Germany’s border checks, particularly with its eastern neighbor Poland, have created tensions. In response, the Polish government last month introduced reciprocal temporary border checks. Senior Polish politicians have accused Germany of pushing migrants from German territory into Poland.

Under EU rules, member states may reintroduce temporary border controls within the passport-free Schengen Area only under exceptional circumstances, such as facing serious threats to public order. The European Commission has repeatedly stated that such measures should be used only as a last resort and must remain temporary.

Supporters of Merz’s party argue that, according to EU laws and directives, asylum seekers must file their claims in the first EU country they enter—such as Greece or Italy—rather than traveling on to Germany before their cases are processed. The EU’s common migration and asylum policy provides for the distribution of accepted asylum seekers among member states.