Thousands of refugees with Greek asylum reapply in Germany

Around 8,000 refugees who had already been granted protection in Greece applied for asylum again in Germany between January and May this year, according to the German Interior Ministry.

In total, more than 26,000 such applications were filed in 2024, according to the Interior Ministry, which provided the figures to the Funke media group.

Under Schengen rules, recognized refugees may travel freely within the bloc for up to 90 days within a six-month period but are not allowed to file a second asylum claim in another EU member state.

"Persons granted protection in Greece must claim that protection there," the ministry said.

Many of the migrants reportedly arrived in Germany by plane. The German Police Union (GdP) has criticized gaps in airport checks, calling for tighter controls.

Andreas Rosskopf, head of the GdP's federal police division, said the federal police needed more authority to carry out checks and return people engaged in so-called secondary migration.

In April, Germany's Federal Administrative Court ruled that deportations of single, healthy and employable migrants to Greece are permissible, despite shortcomings in the country's asylum system.

However, Greek authorities have made it clear they do not intend to take such individuals back.

Refugee rights group Pro Asyl says conditions in Greece remain inhumane and have not fundamentally improved in years. Meral Zeller, a spokeswoman for the group's Europe department, described the situation with "no bed, no bread, no soap."