The German Cabinet has approved two amendments needed to implement the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in Germany, translating the European Union’s reform package “one by one”, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also planned to apply CEAS external border rules at German airports before the deadline for adopting the EU laws in mid-2026, the ministry said.
It added that agreement between the federal government and the 16 states was necessary for external border procedures at seaports and international airports due to the accommodation capacity required.
The draft law also stipulates that in cases where Germany intends to accept asylum seekers and recognized refugees from another EU member state, persons who pose a threat to security will be identified and rejected through personal screening.
In the event of a threat to security and public order, there will be no deadline for departure, “deportation and return should take place as quickly as possible.”
The cabinet decision means “Germany will implement the new law quickly and comprehensively,” Faeser said, pledging to work towards rapid implementation of the reform across the EU.
The deadline for the implementation of the CEAS reform agreed by EU Member States is June 2026, until which time the current rules will continue to apply.
The reform provides for mandatory identity checks upon arrival. Asylum seekers with an EU-wide protection rate of less than 20% will complete their asylum procedure at the EU’s external borders.
According to figures from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), approximately 179,000 people submitted a first asylum application in Germany in the first nine months of this year.
