Overview

• Since May 6, 2025, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has reinforced internal border checks and ordered turnbacks, which the Union presents as a successful “Migrationswende” to relieve municipalities.
• Faeser said current arrival figures mirror late‑2023 levels and cited stationary checks she initiated in October 2023 at the borders with Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Poland, later expanded to all frontiers after the European Championship.
• Migration researcher Gerald Knaus argued the drop in asylum seekers largely reflects shifting dynamics such as fewer Syrians leaving Turkey, and he warned European courts are likely to rule turnbacks unlawful.
• Commentators including Robin Alexander described a clear SPD shift since 2015 toward accepting stronger border controls, contrasting the current stance with Angela Merkel’s approach.
• Faeser defended authorizing the publication of the Verfassungsschutz assessment on the AfD, while critics said the timing politicized the move and limited her successor’s options.