German court rules against turning away asylum seekers at the border

Germany is not allowed to turn away asylum seekers at its borders, according to a ruling by the German administrative court. The court deemed the rejection of asylum seekers at the border unlawful. The German government had started sending back people who applied for asylum at the border last month to "gradually reduce illegal migration."

The court stated that Germany must fully adhere to the Dublin Regulation, which determines where migrants in Europe should apply for asylum. According to European rules, applications must first be processed before determining which country is responsible for the application and whether asylum seekers can be sent away. Often, the first country where someone enters the Schengen zone is responsible.

The court mentioned the case of three Somali asylum seekers who were sent back to Poland after arriving in Germany from a safe country. "The rejection of the applicants was unlawful," the judge said. Their asylum application should have been processed under the EU's Dublin Regulation.

The German Interior Ministry has not yet responded to the ruling. The new German government had intended to signal a change in asylum policy by turning away asylum seekers. It remains unclear what impact the ruling will have on the new policy.