Dobrindt: Border Controls Work, So They Stay

1. Background: Declining asylum numbers and ongoing border controls

Germany has seen a marked decline in asylum applications in recent years. Applications dropped from 351,915 in 2023 to 168,543 in 2025, and only 22,491 first-time applications were recorded up to March 2026. First-time applications fell by about 37.8 percent compared with the previous year. In the first quarter of 2026 Germany recorded 28,922 applications, a 23 percent decrease that placed it fourth among EU destination countries. Across the EU, first-time asylum applications fell by roughly 27 percent in 2025 to about 669,400. These figures form the factual backdrop to the debate about border controls, migration policy, and asylum processing.

2. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt’s position

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) insists that the border controls at internal EU borders must continue. He presents the controls as a central achievement of his migration policy and describes the situation since taking office as a ‘migration turnaround’. Dobrindt reports that around 1,340 asylum seekers have been turned away at the border since his tenure began, that 2,000 to 3,000 rejections occur each month, and that about 8,000 arrest warrants have been enforced at border crossings. He argues these measures deliver security gains and sees them as a transition until a functioning European migration system is in place.

Key measures and claimed results

Dobrindt attributes falling asylum numbers directly to the stricter controls implemented since he took office. He also defends controversial deportations, including removals to Afghanistan, and frames such actions as part of a tougher, enforcement-focused approach. For him, the combination of intensified checks, rejections at the border, and enforcement of warrants demonstrates policy effectiveness and supports keeping controls in place.

1. Stricter border controls at EU internal borders
2. Monthly rejections at the border, reported at 2,000 to 3,000 cases
3. Enforcement of around 8,000 arrest warrants at border points
4. Deportations, including to Afghanistan, as part of enforcement measures

3. Criticism, legal challenges, and political opposition

Even as ministerial statements emphasize success, criticism has come from courts and political opponents. Some courts, for example the administrative court in Koblenz, judged particular border controls unlawful because the claim of border overburdening was not sufficiently substantiated. Politicians on the left and center, such as SPD regional leaders, have cautioned that permanent border controls are not the right tool in Europe and could ultimately do more harm than good. Others, including Green critics, have condemned certain deportations as morally and politically problematic.

Legal rulings and political concerns

Courts question the legal basis for prolonged internal border checks when the required conditions, such as demonstrable overburdening of the asylum system, are not clearly proven. Political opponents warn of damage to European cooperation, the Schengen system, and Germany’s international standing. Human rights and rule of law concerns are central to these objections, especially where deportations raise ethical and legal questions.

• Judicial findings that some controls lacked sufficient legal justification
• Political warnings about the long-term impact on European cooperation and Schengen
• Human rights and ethical concerns around deportations
• Debate over whether border controls are a temporary fix or a lasting policy

4. European context and trends

The decline in asylum applications is not limited to Germany. The EU saw a roughly 27 percent drop in first-time applications in 2025, and several member states recorded fewer arrivals or applications. Germany’s fall to fourth place among EU destination countries, behind Spain, Italy, and France, reflects broader shifts in migration routes and choices. Ministers and policymakers across Europe now weigh national border measures against EU-wide solutions for migration and asylum processing.

5. What this means going forward

Keeping border controls despite falling numbers shows a political choice to prioritize immediate enforcement and security as defined by the interior ministry. The future of these controls depends on several factors: further legal rulings, political negotiations at the EU level over a functioning migration system, and whether the observed declines in asylum applications continue. Administrative capacity, diplomatic consequences, and public opinion will also shape next steps in migration policy.

Potential impacts

1. Perceived security gains and reduced irregular entries, according to proponents
2. Legal and constitutional challenges that could limit or change how controls are applied
3. Diplomatic and European cooperation costs if internal border checks persist
4. Shifts in migration routes and administrative burdens for asylum processing

6. Clear takeaways

The data show a clear reduction in asylum and first-time applications in Germany and across the EU. Interior Minister Dobrindt interprets these declines as confirmation that intensified border controls and enforcement are working, and he wants them to stay. At the same time, courts and political rivals challenge the legality and wisdom of long-term internal border checks. The final balance between national controls and a strengthened EU migration system will be decided by legal rulings, political compromise, and how migration trends evolve.

If you follow migration policy, look for updates on court decisions, EU-level reforms, and future migration statistics to see whether the current approach remains in place or gives way to other solutions. Healthy debate and careful scrutiny will be important while policies affect both security and human rights.