Fast-track border checks, return centers, 'mandatory solidarity': What the EU's new asylum rules could change — and what they may not
The EU's new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) took effect June 12, introducing mandatory border screenings and return centers, but experts question its effectiveness.
One of the most significant reforms to asylum law in Germany and the entire European Union came into force on Friday, June 12. The new "Common European Asylum System" (CEAS) requires mandatory preliminary screening for asylum seekers at the EU's external borders, aiming to speed up procedures for those from countries with low recognition rates. Asylum seekers from countries such as Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Nigeria will undergo fast-track border procedures in closed camps. According to Eurostat, fewer than 20% of applicants from these and dozens of other countries have their asylum claims recognized.
Immigration expert Gerald Knaus, founder of the European Stability Initiative (ESI), doubts the system will work. He argues that deporting rejected asylum seekers remains difficult, and they are likely to simply move to another EU country. "Actually, it has always been the case that the countries where asylum seekers arrive first are responsible for processing their applications. It just hasn't worked out that way. Why should it work now?" he asked.
The largest groups of asylum seekers in 2025 came from Afghanistan and Syria, with recognition rates above 20%, so they undergo regular procedures rather than border procedures. Knaus noted that Germany and Austria, though not on the EU's external border, granted more than half of all successful asylum applications in the EU over the last decade—a trend he believes will persist, influenced more by events in origin countries than by EU law. Since the Assad regime's fall in late 2024, departures from Syria have declined sharply.
German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt believes CEAS will make it easier to transfer asylum seekers to the EU country of first entry. To ease the burden, CEAS includes "mandatory solidarity" requiring other member states to process applications, but Poland and Hungary have refused. Germany, citing overburden, will not accept any asylum seekers this year. The government plans to set up "return centers" across German states, but currently only two exist (Hamburg and Eisenhüttenstadt). Plans for "return hubs" outside the EU remain on paper. Dobrindt acknowledged that finding partner countries will be challenging.
The European Commission has called on Germany to phase out border controls now that CEAS is in force, but Dobrindt insists on their necessity to avoid being overwhelmed again. Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) has worked to align with the reform, but an EU report found Germany and other countries like Greece and Italy not yet fully compliant. EU Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner stated that June 12 marks the beginning, not the end, and that things won't be perfect from the start.
