Overview

• Hans-Eckhard Sommer, President of Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), has proposed a radical shift in asylum policy, presented as his personal opinion.
• He advocates replacing the current asylum system with humanitarian admissions that prioritize labor market integration and humanitarian needs.
• Sommer criticized the existing European asylum system as inequitable, claiming it disproportionately benefits young, middle-class men while excluding vulnerable groups like women and families.
• He suggested amending international agreements, including the Geneva Refugee Convention, to enable these changes, emphasizing the feasibility of such reforms given shifting political dynamics in Europe.
• Sommer warned that unresolved migration issues could fuel the rise of far-right parties, posing risks to democratic stability in Europe.