German Debate about the Individual Right to Asylum
A classic theme of the German debate is the idea to replace the individual right to asylum by an ‘institutional guarantee’, for instance in the form of legal pathways. Christian Democrat Thorsten Frei has reactivated that long-standing argument in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. This proposal raises numerous legal and practical questions: is it compatible with human rights law? What kind of legal changes would be required? What happens with those entering irregularly, not least in light of the prohibition of refoulement? Daniel Thym discusses all these themes in an contribution for the online format FAZ EINSPRUCH (‘Die Abschaffung des Grundrechts auf Asyl ist kein Tabu’) and, together with other themes in an interview with DIE WELT ('Schon verrückt. Wir geben uns strenge Regeln, die schlecht funktionieren'), as well as in expert opinions, amongst others, in DIE WELT, SCHWÄBISCHE ZEITUNG and TAGESSPIEGEL.