In a significant pivot away from the past, Germany’s newly established government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz has terminated its open-border asylum policies, mandating immediate pushbacks of all undocumented migrants at its borders. This marks the end of nearly ten years of migration policies that many critics assert have contributed to instability within Europe.
Under the new directive, individuals hoping to seek asylum must do so in the first EU country they enter, which is often Greece. Fail to do this, and they risk being turned back or deported.
To enforce these new measures, the government will deploy 3,000 additional border officers tasked with patrolling Germany’s frontiers.
Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) announced this sweeping directive on Tuesday, empowering German Federal Police to tighten border controls and escalate pushbacks against any non-citizen attempting to enter the country without valid documentation, including those claiming asylum.
Dobrindt expressed the intention to ‘send a signal’ to the international community that the era of open borders in Germany has come to an end.
Chancellor Merz, a long-time leader of the center-right CDU, has positioned himself as a corrective force to the policies of former Chancellor Angela Merkel, vowing to restore order, reaffirm national sovereignty, and win back conservative voters disillusioned by years of lax immigration policies and technocratic globalism.
The German government has been wrestling with the rise of the “Alternative for Germany” (AfD) party, which they label ‘far-right’ but which has vocally opposed the open borders that many view as detrimental to national stability.
AfD has rapidly ascended to become one of Germany’s most influential political parties, capitalizing on widespread discontent over unchecked migration, rising crime rates, inflation, and a political elite perceived as disconnected from the populace. Once considered a fringe group, AfD now ranks second in national polls and governs in several local jurisdictions, particularly in the former East Germany. Their emphasis on immigration, national identity, and pushback against EU influence has positioned them as the principal alternative to Merkel-era policies, compelling traditional parties like the CDU to adopt more stringent rhetoric and policy adjustments, such as the recent border pushback initiative.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently criticized the government’s tactics against the AfD, prompting German leftists to liken his comments to those of Hitler, showcasing the charged atmosphere surrounding this political discourse.
This policy shift effectively revokes a controversial 2015 directive from former Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière (CDU) that mandated the admission of all undocumented asylum seekers, regardless of their legal status or country of EU entry—an order that laid the groundwork for Germany’s open-border approach during the 2015 migrant crisis.
In stark contrast, the AfD has campaigned on a platform advocating for mass deportations.
Immigration tensions, often stoked by far-left organizations and advocates of open borders, have ignited significant political discord not only in Germany but also across the United States, the United Kingdom, and wider Western Europe.
Concerns over crime associated with refugees and foreign-born immigrants, alongside the soaring social costs of accommodating these populations, have become major points of contention.
Again a Syrian “refugee” (came to Germany in 2016, never worked a day) knife killed another man in Berlin.
Every day. Every fucking day. https://t.co/bw6yyDfnMc pic.twitter.com/3foAwAZXjR
— Kaiser (@eagleeye2805) April 17, 2025
Former President Trump is often credited with his 2024 election victory due to his staunch opposition to illegal immigration.
Dobrindt’s new directive, effective immediately, reinstates enforcement of the long-overlooked “Dublin Regulation,” which stipulates that asylum seekers must apply for protection in the first EU country they enter. Merkel famously disregarded this regulation during the 2015 migrant crisis to alleviate pressure on southern EU nations like Greece and Italy, a decision many believe catalyzed an unprecedented influx of migrants into Germany.
According to BILD, over 3 million migrants have entered Germany since the inception of these policies, many of whom have discarded their identification documents to evade deportation, exploiting generous welfare provisions while sidestepping asylum eligibility criteria.
“From today, ALL migrants will be prevented from crossing Germany’s land borders illegally, even if they claim asylum,” BILD reported, signaling what could be one of the most consequential immigration policy reversals in contemporary German history.
Politically, the ramifications are equally explosive. The CDU and its sister party CSU have experienced a significant loss of support to the populist-right AfD, which gained traction by criticizing Merkel’s migration policies and demanding stricter border enforcement. Insiders suggest this new directive is a desperate attempt to win back voters who have shifted their allegiance to the AfD, which is polling at historic levels in several German states.
CDU parliamentary leader Jens Spahn confirmed that pushbacks will continue regardless of any objections from neighboring nations. EU treaties require countries like Austria to accept migrants that Germany deems inadmissible. Despite Austria’s strong opposition, German officials are reportedly undeterred.
Legal experts assert that unless overturned by EU courts, the German government is within its rights to reassert its border authority. Should Germany maintain its stance, it could trigger a domino effect, prompting other EU nations to follow suit, potentially reinstating the long-defunct security framework at Europe’s external borders.
However, this depends heavily on political resolve. Activist protests, legal challenges, and vigorous media opposition are anticipated, with left-wing factions already framing the policy as a looming human rights catastrophe, despite the fact that migrants arriving in Germany from neighboring countries are not necessarily fleeing conflict zones.
Critics argue that the past decade has revealed a dysfunctional asylum system, where economic migrants exploit humanitarian loopholes to gain access to countries with expansive social services, while left-wing governance has enabled this exploitation.
For years, the German political establishment maintained that “nothing could be done.” Dobrindt’s actions have now proven that change was indeed possible all along.
The pushback directive, if sustained, could not only signify the end of ‘Merkelism’ but also herald the collapse of one of the most self-destructive political periods in European history.
The previous neoliberal policies promoting low birth rates and open borders have led to a demographic crisis in Western nations, a phenomenon some have labeled ‘national suicide.’
