As part of the Dublin process, Berlin seeks the return of those migrants who have applied for asylum in Greece and came to Germany, comments Ronald Maynardous.

A recent poll shows that Germany’s image in Greece has improved significantly over the past two years. The positive findings reflect the significant improvement in relations between Athens and Berlin. The memories of the painful memoranda and political austerity seem to have gone by the wayside.

Despite the noticeable improvement, there are still open issues. When Greek and German diplomats meet – and this happens very often – tthe issue of immigration is always on the agenda. There are differences of opinion on some issues.

We mainly refer to migrants whose first country of entry into the EU is Greece, but in the vast majority of them they seek to continue their journey to Germany as soon as possible. Germany attracts them because of the high social benefits, which act as a magnet for them.

According to official German government data, 16,500 people applied for asylum in Germany last yeareven though they had already been granted asylum in Greece. Of these, the German authorities re-granted asylum to 12,000 people. At the same time, Berlin asked the Greek authorities to accept, within the framework of the Dublin process, more than 5,000 migrants. However, Athens only consented in 65 of these cases.

Fezer: Let’s discuss the return of those who have requested asylum in Greece

The German government is not at all satisfied with this situation. So-called “secondary migration” is a “serious bilateral issue”, say diplomatic circles in Athens. This is an issue that concerns even the heads of government of the two countries in their meetings.

“It is important to discuss with Greece how people who have sought asylum there and come to Germany can return to Greece”said German Interior Minister Nancy Fesser after her recent meeting with Greek Immigration Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos in Berlin.

It is unclear whether Athens and Berlin have made any progress on this issue. Both sides prefer to emphasize the “very good atmosphere” of the talks. It is clear that they seek to keep the issue out of domestic political debates, avoiding leaving it in the hands of populists. The statement of the Greek minister, Mr. Panagiotopoulos, is typical, that the effects of the temporary border controls in Germany should not be “dramatized” prematurely.

This is logical, since there were no radical changes. In essence, the German police simply extended existing practices, which have long been in place at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland and France, and at the borders with Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark. Refugees who declare their intention to apply for asylum are still allowed to enter the country.

In Germany, the number of asylum applications fell by 22%

There is no indication that refugees whose asylum applications fall under the jurisdiction of other countries under the Dublin process will be returned to the respective countries, according to the Tageszeitung newspaper. The paper concludes that the announced measures will have little effect on the number of refugees arriving in Germany.

Indeed, from January to August 2024, the number of asylum applications in Germany fell by 22%. In contrast, the situation at the border between Greece and Turkey is completely different, with Frontex reporting a 39% increase in migrant flows in the first eight months of this year.

This explains why immigration was on the agenda of the Greek-Turkish summit in New York. The reduction of irregular immigration to Greece – and by extension to Europe – is impossible without the active cooperation of Turkey. In this assessment, Athens and Berlin completely agree.