Germany's asylum counseling faces budget axe despite proven efficiency gains
There are concerns, write Verena Schäffer (North Rhine-Westphalia), Aminata Touré (Schleswig-Holstein), Katharina Binz (Rhineland-Palatinate), and Manfred Lucha (Baden-Württemberg), that the measure "could undermine the intended acceleration of proceedings and instead lead to delays."
Current budget plans call for the complete elimination of funding, which could leave many advisory centers for asylum seekers facing financial difficulties.
"Independent asylum procedure counseling is a cornerstone for ensuring smooth asylum processes," North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister for Integration and Refugees, Schäffer, told Der Spiegel. This helps streamline procedures and ensures those affected are better informed. When asylum seekers can make well-informed decisions, she added, it also eases the burden on authorities and courts.
The counseling services were introduced in 2023 by the then-traffic light coalition government. Under Section 12a of the Asylum Act, the federal government funds "independent, impartial, free, individualized, and voluntary asylum procedure counseling." This allows asylum seekers to seek confidential advice before their hearings, addressing questions about their individual cases. The center-right Union and the Social Democrats (SPD) had agreed in their coalition treaty to evaluate this counseling program in an open-ended manner.
Today, the Conference of Integration Ministers is meeting for the second day of its deliberations in Essen.
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