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The Organisation of Asylum and Migration Policies in Germany ,
Source: BAMF
How is German migration policy organised? What legal foundations are there and which institutions are involved in administration in the executive und operative fields? Where do asylum and migration policies link up with other policy fields, and which ministries and organisations are responsible for this?
The updated Working Paper provides concise answers to these questions and an approximate overview of the organisation of the asylum and migration system in Germany. Selected aspects of the administration of the law on asylum and immigration and associated organisational issues are illustrated in greater detail.
Responsibility held by a wide variety of authorities
Depending on the purpose of entry into or residence in Germany, a very wide variety of authorities are responsible on the basis of the Residence Act (Aufenthaltsgesetz). In order to improve security and prevent illegal entries, in particular the German representations abroad, the border and security authorities, the immigration authorities, as well as the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, work together closely.
Once a person has entered the country, as a matter of principle the immigration authorities are responsible for all matters relating to residence and passports. In the administration of labour migration, the introduction of “one-stop government” replaced the dual authorisation procedures for residence (by the foreigners authority) and taking up work (by the Federal Employment Agency) with one single administrative act. The local foreigners authority is now the only point of call for decisions on residence and taking up work. Only when it comes to activities requiring approval is the Federal Employment Agency consulted to carry out a verification. Asylum seekers who entered the country are passed on to the initial reception centre closest to them; the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is responsible for processing the asylum application.
Considerable need for regulation in asylum and migration policy
German asylum and migration policy remains a policy field with a considerable need for regulation and complex organisational competences. Repeated legal amendments take place, particularly as a result of the harmonisation of the law in the European Union.
The report came about as a study of the German National Contact Point for the European Migration Network’s EU-wide study entitled "Organisation of Asylum and Migration Policies in the EU Member States".
Drafted by: Jan Schneider
2nd updated edition