EU asylum reform sparks protest in Gießen over new detention provisions

On World Refugee Day, a coalition of 14 civil‑society groups set up a free‑food table at the Kugelbrunnen in Gießen, Germany, to denounce recent changes to the Common European Asylum System (GEAS). The activists warn that the reform makes it easier to detain adult and child asylum seekers across the EU, arguing that such measures undermine basic rights.

The GEAS reform, which entered into force this week, aims to speed up expulsions and introduce "accelerated asylum" centers at EU borders and inside member states. Critics say the new rules limit individual assessments of asylum claims, create quasi‑prison facilities known as secondary migration centers, and shift responsibility away from frontline countries like Greece and Italy. German officials have already discussed establishing such centers in several states. Human‑rights organisations contend the changes could further marginalise vulnerable groups, including refugees, queer and disabled people, and those facing unaffordable housing.