Germany and Switzerland are resuming asylum transfers to Italy under the European Union’s newly implemented Common European Asylum System (CEAS), even as implementation hurdles and political friction stall immediate deportations. According to the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration (SEM), Switzerland began booking flights for transfers in late August, aligning its policy with Berlin’s approach to the post-June 12 EU migration framework that replaced the older Dublin regulations.
However, practical roadblocks and sharp political disputes have immediately complicated the renewed returns. According to data uncovered via a Freedom of Information request filed with the transparency platform FragDenStaat, German authorities briefly resumed issuing transfer requests to Italy after the CEAS rules took effect, only for potential transfers to be halted following internal ministerial discussions on August 20.
Germany and Switzerland Align with New EU Asylum Framework
The revised European rules establish joint criteria to determine which EU member state is responsible for reviewing an asylum application, keeping primary responsibility largely tied to the country of first entry. SEM spokesperson Magdalena Baker told Swiss broadcaster SRF that the resumption of transfers is taking place gradually. “The transfers begin at the end of August,” Baker said, noting that initial flights involve only individual cases. Baker added that Bern views sustainable returns as essential to keeping the system from overloading.
The policy shift mirrors actions taken in Berlin. Germany previously announced that under the new EU pact, it would resume transfers to Italy and Greece for individuals arriving after June 12. Yet the practical execution has met immediate resistance from Rome. The Italian government insists it will only take back asylum seekers who entered the bloc after the new pact took effect, rejecting older cases.
Political Clash Over NGO Rescue Vessels and Border Controls
Italy has pushed back forcefully against Berlin’s return requests, tying the issue of Dublin transfers to the operation of non-governmental organization rescue ships operating under German flags. Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini demanded that Germany take back NGO vessels operating in the Mediterranean, stating that Italy has no obligation to accept Dublin returns until those maritime operations are addressed. “Before they us send even a single person back, they should strip these NGOs of the German flag,” Salvini stated.
Bilateral talks between Rome and Berlin hit a concrete snag in August regarding a 22-year-old Somali woman named Faduma. Scheduled as Germany’s first deportee under the revived rules on August 19, Faduma’s transfer was blocked after she secured church asylum in a Protestant parish in Nuremberg, Bavaria. Because Faduma entered Germany in late March—months before the June 12 cutoff—her case falls outside the criteria recognized by the Italian government for repatriation.
Broader migration tensions across Europe have further strained regional cooperation. Following an arrival of approximately 80,000 migrants at the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in North Africa, Italy temporarily reintroduced targeted border checks for third-country nationals arriving from Spain through September 7, citing national security concerns.
Opposition Criticism of the Meloni Administration
The hardening stance by Germany and Switzerland has drawn sharp rebukes from Italian opposition figures, who argue that foreign governments are adopting the hardline migration blueprint promoted by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Riccardo Magi, leader of Più Europa, criticized the developments as a predictable consequence of Rome’s strategy. “Germany and Switzerland are taking the Meloni model in migration policy so literally that they are now sending asylum seekers back to Italy,” Magi said, asserting that the policy isolates Italy rather than fostering true European solidarity.
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