German government to halt funding of independent asylum counseling providers — reports

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the ruling conservative CDU/CSU plans to cut funds for independent counseling services for asylum seekers, the RND media group and the investigative journalism group Correctiv reported.

Independent counseling for asylum procedures inform asylum seekers about their rights in Germany.

According to the reports, counseling providers were informed of the planned cuts to the 2027 budget on Monday.

The Workers’ Welfare Association (AWO) charity described the move as a “serious political mistake.”

“After all the attacks on the right to asylum, civil society is now actively being forced out of supporting refugees,” AWO chief Michael Groß told RND.

The Pro Asyl rights group also criticized the planned cuts.

“Independent asylum procedure advice is not a luxury, but a central safeguard under the rule of law in asylum proceedings,” Pro Asyl managing director Karl Kopp told RND.

Dobrindt has called for Germany to tighten border controls and crack down on “abuse” of asylum law

Hakan Demir, a lawmaker for the CDU/CSU’s junior coalition partner, the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), told Correctiv that the move had not yet been agreed upon by the coalition.

Demir said that it was important for “vulnerable groups” to have access to information from sources other than government officials.

“We therefore continue to advocate for independent asylum procedure counseling,” he said.

The plan was also criticized by the opposition environmentalist Greens.

“Well-informed refugees lead to better asylum decisions — regardless of whether an application is accepted or rejected,” Greens lawmaker Filiz Polat told Correctiv.

She added that independent counseling leads to fairer and speedier proceedings with fewer appeals.

What is independent asylum counseling?

Asylum seekers in Germany have access to free counseling funded by the state.

State funding for the program was approved by former Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s government in 2022 in a bid to accelerate proceedings for asylum requests.

Scholz belongs to the SPD and governed in coalition with the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP).

Counseling has been provided through civil society organizations since mid-2023.

Some 108,000 asylum seekers made use of the program in the first two years of its existence, according to RND.