Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in the eastern city of Leipzig ruled on Wednesday that single, healthy and able-bodied migrants can be deported to Greece, despite shortcomings in the country’s reception system.
The court found that such individuals are not at risk of extreme hardship and therefore rejected the appeals of two men: a Somali national and another man born in northern Gaza whose nationality remains unclear.
Plaintiffs had been granted protection in Greece
Both men had fled their home countries in 2017 and 2018, travelling through Turkey before reaching Greece. There, both were granted international protection status and issued temporary residence permits.
They later moved on to Germany and filed new asylum applications, which authorities deemed as inadmissible and deportation orders to Greece followed.
Their legal challenges were rejected by lower courts, which found no substantial risk of inhuman or degrading treatment upon their return to Greece.
Deportations to Greece have long been controversial
The ruling stands in contrast to decisions by other courts that have taken a more critical view of conditions for migrants in Greece.
Due to such concerns, deportations to Greece from Germany have largely stalled in recent years.
German advocacy groups like Pro Asyl continue to argue that migrants face severe hardship, citing systemic barriers to accessing basic services.
‘Bread, bed and soap’ is the standard
The federal judges confirmed the assessment of the lower court. The benchmark was whether the migrants in Greece had ‘bread, bed and soap’ at their disposal, said presiding judge Robert Keller.
He added, “That’s not much – we know that. It’s a tough standard.”
Nevertheless, the court concluded that Greece does not violate the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights in its treatment of asylum seekers.
While acknowledging bureaucratic hurdles, the court argued that accommodation is available and that access to food and employment – whether via soup kitchens or informal labour – remains possible.
Rights group criticizes ruling
Pro Asyl condemned the decision as detached from reality. “We have a very different assessment of the situation,” said consultant Andreas Meyerhöfer.
“We know that people are at real risk of falling into destitution.”
He warned that renewed deportations could further worsen the already dire situation for migrants in Greece.
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