Germany moves to return 11,745 asylum seekers to Italy under new EU migration pact

The dispute

Germany has signaled its intention to start returning to Italy asylum seekers who first entered the EU through Italian borders, invoking the new EU Migration and Asylum Pact that entered into force on June 12, 2026. A German Interior Ministry spokesperson stated that these returns should begin immediately. Germany recorded the arrival of 11,745 so-called "dublinanti" in the first six months of 2026, of whom 7,591 were confirmed as asylum seekers who had arrived from first-entry countries such as Italy, Greece, and Spain. A July European Commission report showed that eight countries had already asked Italy to take back 12 migrants who entered the EU through its borders, but Italy rejected all requests. The Commission noted that a member state cannot refuse a return but must propose an alternative date.

Italy's response

Rome refuses to accept the returns until the European solidarity mechanism is operational. The Interior Ministry stated on August 10 that it is premature to assume anyone who arrived in Italy after June 12 is already in another country, given the short time elapsed. Italy also argues that Germany should retain some dublinanti because many NGOs rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean fly German flags, including Sea Watch, Sea-Eye, and Mission Lifeline. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi contends that a bilateral moratorium on transfers expired in June 2026, while Germany maintains it was valid only until December 2025. The first reported case is Somali citizen Abdirisaq Warsame, who arrived in Hesse at the end of March and whose return to Italy is scheduled for August 19.

Sea Watch rejected Italy's compensation argument.

It is nauseating to talk about compensations. The request from the Viminale to the German government to stop the NGOs makes little sense: you cannot prevent a ship from doing what international law obliges it to do.

The new EU rules

The EU Migration and Asylum Pact, approved in December 2025 and in force since June 12, 2026, replaces the Dublin III Regulation with the Asylum and Migration Management Regulation (AMMR). The core principle remains: the country of first entry is responsible for examining asylum claims. Under the new rules, responsibility for irregular entry extends from 12 to 20 months, while remaining 12 months for arrivals following search-and-rescue operations. If the person hides, transfers remain possible for up to three years. A country under strong migratory pressure can request relocation of up to 30,000 migrants to other member states. States refusing relocation can pay 20,000 euros per migrant to the pressured country.

Electoral pressure

Both Giorgia Meloni and Friedrich Merz face significant electoral contests. Italy is heading toward national elections, while Germany votes in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6 and in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on September 20. The AfD is rising in polls, particularly in Saxony-Anhalt where it far surpasses the CDU/CSU. Italian opposition parties, including the Democratic Party and the Five Star Movement, accuse the government of prioritizing propaganda over European cooperation. German Ambassador Thomas Bagger posted on social media that Germany and Italy are "perfectly aligned" and cooperate in "maximum trust" on all migration issues. Meloni and Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen issued a joint post, with each leader demonstrating domestic political positioning on migration firmness.

The numbers

According to the IOM, 158,003 migrants entered the EU in 2025. Of these, 66,316 arrived in Italy, 48,916 in Greece, and 36,775 in Spain. The overall trend has been declining since 2023, though the imbalance among frontline states persists. Italy's government committed to 16,000 expulsions but carried out fewer than 7,000 last year.