Trending 
Germany’s newly formed government has announced that it will begin refusing entry to most asylum seekers at its borders, in a significant shift aimed at tackling irregular migration and undercutting the growing influence of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who took office on Tuesday, said the measures are necessary due to persistently high levels of irregular migration within the European Union.
Speaking to Welt TV, Merz confirmed that both French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk had been briefed about the decision in advance. He described the policy as a “temporary” measure. Germany’s Interior Minister, Alexander Dobrindt, added that the new directive would not apply to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children.
The government has reversed a policy from 2015, when Germany opened its doors to over a million refugees fleeing conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan. To support the new approach, an additional 2,000 to 3,000 federal police officers will be deployed to border areas, supplementing the current 11,000 officers. Some will be required to work extended 12-hour shifts, according to reports in Der Spiegel.
Dobrindt defended the changes by insisting they aimed to restore both “humanity and order” to Germany’s migration system, placing greater emphasis on control than in previous years.
However, the move has drawn criticism from neighbouring countries. Switzerland expressed regret over not being consulted, while Polish Prime Minister Tusk, during a joint press event with Merz in Warsaw, urged Germany to prioritise strengthening the EU’s external borders and protect the integrity of the Schengen zone. Merz responded that the new border controls would be conducted in a cooperative manner that would not disrupt Germany’s neighbours.
Within Germany, the decision has stirred controversy. The AfD, which secured more than 20 percent in February’s general election and continues to climb in the polls, has long advocated for tougher immigration controls. Although Merz’s CDU/CSU alliance won the most votes, his coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) has agreed to bar all undocumented arrivals at the border, including those seeking asylum. This aspect of the policy has raised concerns about its compatibility with EU law, particularly among some SPD members.
Tensions over migration have intensified in Germany following a series of violent incidents involving foreign nationals. During the election campaign, Merz made cracking down on irregular immigration a central issue, even relying on AfD support to pass a parliamentary motion on the topic—drawing criticism for breaching a longstanding pledge not to cooperate with the far-right party.
Just last week, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency, the BfV, officially classified the AfD as a “right-wing extremist” organisation. This designation, based on a confidential internal report, cited widespread anti-migrant, anti-Muslim rhetoric and the party’s embrace of “remigration” narratives, which call for mass deportations. The AfD has challenged the classification in court.
