Hamburg and Eisenhüttenstadt, Brandenburg have recently established two centers designed to facilitate the transfer of asylum seekers to other EU member states under the Dublin Regulation. However, initial data indicates limited impact on the actual number of deportations.
Between February and August of this year, the Hamburg facility oversaw the transfer of just 39 individuals, while the Eisenhüttenstadt center processed five. This totals 44 transfers from both locations within a six-month period.
The centers currently operate with significant underutilization. The Hamburg center has a capacity for 300 individuals but is presently housing only 13. In Brandenburg, the facility accommodates 11 individuals, despite having space for up to 60.
Comparatively, a substantially higher volume of transfers occurred across Germany as a whole. During the same period, 3,408 individuals were transferred from the entire country. States like Bavaria (632 transfers), Baden-Württemberg (459), Hessen (171) and Saxony-Anhalt (114) all facilitated more transfers than the two newly established Dublin centers.
According to migration researcher Hannes Schammann, the current operation of the centers highlights a key challenge within the Dublin system. “These centers are currently ineffective because they don’t address the core issue: a transfer requires the consent of the respective member state” Schammann stated. “Without this consent, no transfer can take place and the Dublin centers don’t change that”. He further added that the centers may inadvertently hinder integration, keeping asylum seekers isolated within the facilities and preventing them from engaging in employment.
