Migration & citizenship
The statement in the quiz
People who come through another EU country and want to claim asylum in Germany should be turned away right at the German border.
Background
Since May 2025 the Interior Ministry has ordered the Federal Police to turn away most asylum seekers at land borders (clearly vulnerable people are exempt). In June 2025 the Berlin Administrative Court ruled in a specific case that turning people away without the EU’s Dublin procedure is unlawful. Controls at Germany’s borders with its nine neighbouring countries are currently extended until March 2027.
Sources for the background: Mediendienst Integration: Can Germany turn away asylum seekers at its borders?
ForLeaning forNeutral / mixedLeaning againstAgainstNot in manifesto
Wants people arriving from another EU or Schengen country who intend to claim asylum to be turned away at German borders.
From the manifesto „Dazu weisen wir diejenigen an den deutschen Grenzen zurück, die aus einem anderen Mitgliedstaat der EU oder dem Schengen-Raum nach Deutschland einreisen und bei uns einen Asylantrag stellen wollen.“Source: CDU/CSU manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 42
Wants to bring back border controls and turn away everyone entering illegally, without exception.
From the manifesto „illegal einreisende Personen konsequent an der Grenze zurückweisen zu können“Source: AfD manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 104
Opposes closing borders and blanket refusals of entry, and says controls at internal EU borders can only be the exception.
From the manifesto „Grenzschließungen und Pauschalzurückweisungen an den Binnengrenzen widersprechen dem Geist eines gemeinsamen Raums der Freiheit, der Sicherheit und des Rechts.“Source: SPD manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 55
Since the election: In government, the 2025 coalition agreement signed by the SPD agrees to turn away asylum seekers at the border in coordination with neighbouring countries.
Says the right to have each case examined individually and the principle of non-refoulement apply at all times.
From the manifesto „Das Recht auf Einzelfallprüfung und das Nichtzurückweisungsgebot gelten immer und überall.“Source: Greens manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 131
Says systematic border controls and turning away people seeking protection are not permitted.
From the manifesto „Systematische Binnengrenzkontrollen und Zurückweisungen von Schutzsuchenden an den Grenzen sind unzulässig.“Source: Die Linke manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 53
Says anyone who enters from a safe third country has no right to stay or to claim asylum (the manifesto does not directly mention turning people away at the border).
From the manifesto „Wer aus einem sicheren Drittstaat einreist, hat kein Recht auf Aufenthalt.“Source: BSW manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 36
Backs a pilot scheme for turning people away at German borders.
From the manifesto „unterstützen wir die modellhafte Erprobung von Zurückweisungen an den deutschen Außengrenzen“Source: FDP manifesto for the 2025 federal election, PDF page 28
Positions are coded on five steps: for, leaning for, neutral or mixed, leaning against, against. A party whose manifesto says nothing on the statement is marked “not in manifesto”, and the quiz leaves the statement out of that party’s score. The coding method and its checks are on the method page.
This is one of the statements in the German Party Spectrum Quiz. The whole quiz takes about five minutes and shows how your views split across the seven parties, plus your place on an economic and social map. No sign-up, and we never ask who you are.
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Manifesto coding and background checked: 27 September 2026 Update log