German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) acknowledged legal obstacles in setting up so-called “return centers” for migrants in countries outside the European Union. “We are at the beginning of a process,” Dobrindt said on Saturday after a migration summit in Munich with several European counterparts. There had already been initial “trials,” he noted, during which “legal hurdles” were encountered.
“We attach importance to creating the legal framework at the European level,” Dobrindt continued, adding that the goal was to establish such “return hubs” together with European partner countries and the European Commission. “Whether this will be in cooperation with the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, or all together,” he said, “is something that will develop over the course of the process.” He emphasized that “a number of European states now have different ideas” regarding implementation.
According to the German Interior Ministry, participants in the so-called Munich Migration Meeting at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof included interior ministers from Poland, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands. EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner was also present. The French interior minister reportedly canceled due to the ongoing government formation in Paris.
The group discussed ways to “sharpen and toughen” the Common European Asylum System. “We want to make unlimited detention possible for rejected asylum seekers,” Dobrindt said. Another goal is to impose “permanent entry bans.” He added that such measures would require “appropriate conditions,” such as criminal offenses. The meeting also focused on improving data exchange and the potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) as a translation tool in asylum procedures.
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