Bavaria picks former Ingolstadt prison for EU asylum processing, sparking criticism

The Bavarian government confirmed that a former prison in Ingolstadt will become the second site for the European Union’s new external asylum procedure, the Gemeinsame Europäische Asylsystem (GEAS). The first Bavarian location, Munich Airport, opened two weeks earlier.

Local refugee advocacy group spokesperson Johanna Böhm condemned the choice, stating, “When asylum seekers are housed in prisons, it shows how far the erosion of refugee rights has progressed,” and called the arrangement a “human‑rights and civilizational scandal.” Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann defended the reform, saying the external procedures are a “significant step” to speed up decisions and enforce returns of rejected applicants. Under GEAS, applicants are processed before entering the EU, may stay up to 25 weeks, and are legally not considered to have entered the Union, with restricted movement and no right to leave the facilities except upon deportation.

Critics argue that the use of a former detention facility for families and trauma‑affected individuals raises serious humanitarian concerns.