Germany records over 50,000 illegal entries and suspends refugee family reunifications

German federal police reported more than 50,328 illegal border crossings between May 2025 and May 2026, returning 36,786 individuals and handling 307 asylum applications from vulnerable groups. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt reinforced border controls, directing officials to return asylum seekers at the frontier except for patients, pregnant women and other protected categories. Police also blocked 1,904 persons barred from re‑entry, detained 1,409 smugglers and identified over 1,600 extremist individuals.

In July 2025 the German government suspended family‑reunification visas for refugees holding subsidiary protection for two years, a measure tied to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition agenda. Between 2025 and April 2026 only 13 % of the 177,382 reunification applications concerned refugees, with the majority granted to spouses of skilled workers. By mid‑May only seven visas had been issued for the most vulnerable families. Critics warn the policy deepens psychological distress, fuels divorces and spurs costly human‑smuggling routes.