Border with Austria: only 36 refugees rejected

BERLIN. Since August 2018, 36 refugees have been rejected at the German-Austrian border and sent back to Greece. Two asylum seekers were also turned back to Spain within the past 14 months. This resulted in a response from the Federal Government to a request from the Left Party, which was published by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

Last year, Germany negotiated agreements with Greece and Spain, allowing refugees who have already applied for asylum in one of the countries to be sent back without delay at the German border. According to the Dublin agreement, refugees must apply for asylum in the country by first entering the EU territory.

Left Party considers repatriations to be wrong
The domestic spokeswoman for the Left Party, Ulla Jelpke, accused the federal government of breaking the law. The repatriations are not compatible with European law and "not allowed at all". The Interior Ministry, on the other hand, sees the agreements as a "clear signal against the acceptance of uncontrolled illegal secondary movements".

From the end of September 2015 to the end of June 2019, the Federal Police had found around 46,000 people wanted to search on the German-Austrian border. During the same period about 35,000 people were refused entry. Where most illegal border crossings take place, according to the federal government, however, is unclear.

Source:
Junge Freiheit