Germany's Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig announced that they would not grant subsidiary protection or asylum to someone who had committed repeated legal violations and may pose a danger to the public.
An asylum seeker was denied protection status for reportedly being a repeat offender, the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, Germany announced on Friday (June 26).
In a press release, the court said that the asylum seeker's application for protected status was rejected because they had committed repeated legal violations and thus posed a danger to the public.
"According to [the relevant sections] of the Asylum Act, a foreigner is excluded from being granted subsidiary protection under Section 4 Paragraph 1 of the Asylum Act if there are serious grounds justifying the assumption that they pose a danger to the public. Such a danger must exist for the safe and free coexistence of society," the Federal Administrative Court said in a statement.
The asylum seeker, who was identified as a Syrian national, was deported from Germany in June 2017. He was then reportedly found to have repeatedly committed a series of criminal offenses and in over 10 cases, he was sentenced to fines, juvenile detention, and prison terms.
The following year in October 2018, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) rejected his application for subsidiary protection status.
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Forms of asylum and refugee protection
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Germany, there are different forms of asylum protection offered in Germany, with different criteria and rights associated with each kind of protection status.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) determines, in a fixed order, whether one of these forms of protection fit an applicant. The decision is based on the reasons of why the asylum seeker cannot return to their home country.
In the case of subsidiary protection, the applicant is "not individually threatened by political persecution but is nevertheless threatened with serious harm caused by human rights violations in his/her home country."
Under subsidiary protection, an asylum seeker has the right to a residence permit, which allows them to live in Germany for at least one year. The residence permit may be extended for another two years if the situation in the applicant's home country has not improved within this time period.
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Syrians in Germany
Syrians are among the largest migrant groups in Germany. Following the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, millions of Syrians sought refuge in neighboring countries such as Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt. More than 320,000 Syrians sought protection in Germany in 2015.
According to the German Federal Statistical Office, around 973,000 Syrians were living in Germany at the end of 2023. Some 712,000 of them have been granted refugee status, which includes asylum seekers with pending applications and asylum seekers whose applications have been rejected but who have been granted temporary protection on humanitarian grounds.
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