(DPA) In a legal setback for the German government, a Berlin court ruled on Monday that rejecting asylum seekers at border checks within German territory — without first initiating proper asylum procedures — is unlawful.
The urgent decision by the Berlin Administrative Court is a blow to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who has pledged to crack down on migration.
Shortly after taking office last month, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt ordered border checks to be stepped up and advised police to turn back irregular migrants, even if they applied for asylum.
In the first case to emerge over the controversial move, the court ruled in favour of three Somalis who were turned back to Poland from the border town of Frankfurt an der Oder on May 9.
