German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has stood up for his administration’s actions of rejecting asylum seekers at Germany’s frontiers. His stance comes under fire from critics following a judicial decision stating that these expulsions were unlawful. Mountaintraveller provides further details.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative faction is facing criticism following a ruling from a court stating that one of their primary strategies aimed at reducing illegal immigration is invalid. In response, Merz upheld his actions, asserting that they retain the authority to reject newcomers at the frontier when necessary. Meanwhile, the head of the domestic security unit has suggested that Germany may have to implement mandatory military conscription to ensure an adequate number of recruits.
Explore these updates and additional German news stories from Monday, June 3, 2025:
The populist party BSW has failed in their attempt to contest the election outcomes.
The German Federal Constitutional Court has dismissed a legal challenge against the outcome of February’s parliamentary elections, which was initiated by the populist alliance led by Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW).
The BSW secured 4.981% of the votes, falling just short of the 5% threshold needed for parliamentary representation in the Bundestag, which is the lower chamber of Germany’s legislature.
During its appeal, the party contended that its position on the election ballots and the absence of a recount had infringed upon its right to equitable opportunities.
It was alleged that as many as 32,000 votes for the party were either uncounted or wrongly allocated.
The court dismissed the claims, stating that the "applicant failed to adequately demonstrate the potential infringement of its right to equal opportunity."
If the BSW had surpassed the 5% threshold, the newly formed government consisting of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the center-left SPD would not have held a majority.
Led by Sahra Wagenknecht and Amira Mohamed Ali, the BSW broke away from the Left Party roughly a year prior to the election, largely due to Wagenknecht's ongoing backing of Russia.
Germany's Merz defends migrant policies following legal defeat on asylum
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has supported his administration's attempts to deny entry to asylum seekers at the nation's frontiers, following a ruling by a court the previous day that halted the policy.
The urgent ruling made by the Berlin Administrative Court dealt a significant setback for Merz, considering his commitment to reduce illegal immigration.
In Berlin, the chancellor stated that the decision might limit their government's flexibility, yet opportunities remain. "We understand that border refusals can still be implemented," he noted.
Merz, who assumed office last month, stated that his administration would "naturally undertake this within the boundaries of current European legislation."
"We will do so in order to protect public safety and order in our country and to prevent cities and municipalities from being overburdened," he added.
Merz emphasized that Germany needs to keep controls within its borders until the EU's outer boundaries see considerable improvement from his perspective.
Soon after assuming his position last month, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt instructed the police to strengthen border controls and refuse entry to irregular migrants, despite their applications for asylum.
On Monday, the court ruled that three individuals from Somalia, who were returned to Poland on May 9, ought to have undergone assessment through the European Union’s Dublin Regulation concerning asylum claims. The judiciary determined that the administration's justification of invoking a “state of national emergency” as grounds for this action was not supported by adequate proof.
Merz’s immigration policies have faced repeated criticism for contravening both German and EU legislation.
Women frequently face victimization as discrimination complaints increase — federal agency
The German Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency has reported an increase once again in complaints received from individuals claiming they faced discrimination based on factors such as ethnicity, disabilities, or sex.
The anti-discrimination commissioner, Ferda Ataman, stated that the organization has recorded 11,405 complaints—an uptick of 6% from last year and twice as many as were reported in 2019.
The majority of the reports (43%) cited in the agency's 2024 review were related to racial discrimination.
Seventy-three percent of the documented instances of discrimination pertained to disabilities, whereas 24% involved individuals being treated unfairly due to their gender.
Ataman stated that here, women were predominantly the victims, and their numbers have doubled over the last five years.
She mentioned that women predominantly faced discrimination either during their employment or when trying to find jobs, as application requests from young females were frequently disregarded due to the possibility of them starting families eventually.
She mentioned that reports of sexual harassment reached an all-time high of 348 cases during the year.
Ataman stated that she observes a clear link between the increasing support for the far-right AfD party and the rising incidents of discrimination.
I've noticed, and our organization has observed, that as support for a far-right political group increases, individuals often feel justified in making disparaging comments in their daily lives.
Ataman also took issue with antidiscrimination legislation in Germany, stating that "the legal consequences for parking violations are stricter than those for discriminating against others."
Russian and anti-Israel hacking incidents have led to an all-time high in cybercrimes.
On Tuesday, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that cybercrime poses an increasing threat to national safety, noting that Germany experienced a peak level of digital offenses.
"Cybercrime is increasingly turning more hostile, yet our defensive measures are evolving into more sophisticated approaches as well," he stated during the unveiling of the Federal Criminal Police Office’s (BKA’s) cybercrime report for 2024.
Authorities state that pro-Russian and anti-Israel cyberattacks are contributing to the increase in incidents.
The economic harm inflicted by cybercrimes in Germany was approximated at €178 billion ($203 billion), largely as a result of extortion efforts.
Dobrindt stated that Germany was significantly enhancing its capabilities to fight against cybercrime.
However, he pointed out that artificial intelligence (AI) is providing cybercriminals with an even greater array of tools.
Holger Münch, the head of BKA, stated that even though they achieved some success, only 32% of cybercrime cases could be prosecuted in 2024, compared to 58% for other types of crime. This lower rate is largely due to many perpetrators operating from locations outside Germany.
Bavaria Reports Death Linked to Bornavirus
Recently, two individuals from Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, located in Upper Bavaria, were diagnosed with the uncommon Bornavirus infection; unfortunately, one of them passed away, according to local health officials who disclosed this information on Monday.
They stated that the local health department was "making significant efforts to determine a potential mode of infection for the two individuals involved."
The second individual who contracted the infection was said to be receiving medical care.
The Bornavirus is transmitted via the bicolor shrew as well as various other creatures. Humans can contract the virus through contact with the feces, urine, and saliva of infected hosts, even if these carriers do not show signs of illness.
The Friedrich Loeffler Institute in Germany, responsible for animal health matters, has reported that the virus can be found in bicolored shrews inhabiting numerous regions across Bavaria.
Since March 2020, when reporting these instances became required, up to seven infections have been documented in Germany.
Up until now, 55 cases have been reported nationwide.
The virus was not identified as causing severe brain inflammation in humans until 2018.
The homeland army commander suggests that some conscription may be needed.
The leader of the German army division tasked with domestic protection has stated that Germany may need to implement some version of mandatory military service to guarantee an adequate number of troops for required duties.
“For safeguarding crucial defense infrastructure, I just require additional troops beyond what we are presently able to obtain,” Major General Andreas Henne stated to the RND media group, as reported on Tuesday.
Even though the army was presently counting on voluntary enrollments, this approach likely wouldn’t be enough to secure the required number of service members, he stated.
"The more soldiers we need, the more likely it is that we will reach the limits of voluntary enlistment," he said.
Henne did not elaborate on what form these mandatory actions might take.
The pact formed between the conservative group comprising the Christian Democrats (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), along with the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), includes provisions for a fresh military recruitment system centered around voluntary enrollment from the outset.
The proposal represents a middle ground between the SPD’s call for an entirely voluntary scheme and the conservatives’ push to reinstate mandatory military service in Germany, which was suspended back in 2011.
Merz's conservative camp faces criticism over handling of migrant pushbacks
Politicians from the Green and Left parties have accused the conservative bloc of Chancellor Friedrich Merz of creating migration chaos after a Berlin court ruled on Monday that pushbacks of asylum-seekers at the border — a measure ordered by the government — were illegal.
"It’s deceptive and quite alarming when individuals continually push the legal boundaries and are even ready to violate laws along the way,” said Felix Banaszak, the leader of the Green Party, to newspapers affiliated with the Funke media group on Tuesday.
Banaszak stated that the conservatives, leading the coalition government, aimed to push forward their policies "in a style reminiscent of Trump" by issuing contentious declarations and commands that clearly lacked legal grounding.
"Missteps that contradict European law do not contribute constructively; instead, they generate confusion," he stated, emphasizing the aim of making "genuine advancements" in immigration policies.
Jan van Aken, the leader of the Left Party, told the daily newspaper Rheinische Post that the government was breaking the law "simply because it requires sacrificial lambs."
"The government needs to address genuine concerns such as setting a rental cap, implementing proactive investment strategies, and instituting a wealth tax," rather than diverting attention away from these matters at the expense of those who are most vulnerable, according to Van Anen.
On Monday, the Berlin Administrative Court determined that rejecting asylum seekers at the German border as directed by Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt was unlawful.
However, Dobrindt has stated that he will proceed with the policy, asserting that the ruling was applicable solely to a single particular instance.
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