Nancy Faeser, the Federal Interior Minister of Germany, expressed optimism about finding a solution to the deportation of serious criminals and the Islamist threat in Afghanistan and Syria at a conference of interior ministers in Potsdam. She stated that negotiations were ongoing with a focus on finding options for repatriation through neighboring countries such as Uzbekistan in the case of Afghanistan. However, she did not disclose the specific countries involved in these negotiations to avoid jeopardizing ongoing talks.
Faeser also addressed the debate on outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries outside the EU. While she acknowledged that it could be a building block, she emphasized that it would not significantly change the migration situation in Germany. Using Italy’s agreement with Albania as an example, Faeser highlighted that regulating a third country will not drastically reduce asylum seekers. She stressed the importance of the Common European Asylum System (GEAS) for solving migration challenges, including faster procedures at external borders and fairer distribution of refugees, which could ease pressure on Germany.
Faeser’s reliance on GEAS comes after the EU’s controversial asylum reform was adopted in May 2024, which facilitates the distribution of asylum seekers among EU states through the solidarity mechanism. The reform aims to simplify asylum procedures at external borders and adopt a stricter stance towards individuals from relatively safe countries. Faeser believes that implementing a common European asylum system will be key to reshaping Germany’s migration landscape and reducing its burden.