On 12 June 2026, the new Common European Asylum System (CEAS) will be applied across the EU. After years of negotiations, the reform introduces some of the most far-reaching restrictions to (German) asylum law in decades.

The political direction is clear: the reform prioritises control and restriction of migration. In practice, this means, among other things, extensive screening procedures, mandatory border procedures under detention-like conditions, and an increasing shift of protection responsibility onto countries outside the EU. This poses a serious threat to the rights of people fleeing persecution. There are concerns about arbitrary de facto detention, restricted access to effective legal remedies, and the risk that the needs of vulnerable persons (like pregnant women and LGBTIQ+) will not be adequately taken into account.

At the same time, the reform is far from settled: even as implementation is still under way, further changes are already being proposed. These include revising the safe third country concept and a new return regulation that could pave the way for so-called return hubs, i.e. deportation centres outside the EU.