After weeks of tense negotiations, Germany’s grand coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) finalised the domestic implementation of the EU’s 2024 asylum reform (GEAS) late on 29 January. The compromise breaks a political deadlock that had threatened to delay transposition beyond the 1 July 2026 deadline and gives companies much-needed clarity on the future rules for hiring and relocating non-EU nationals who arrive as asylum seekers.
Central to the deal is the creation of up to eight so-called Sekundärmigrationszentren (“secondary-migration centres”) near major transport hubs. Migrants who should have claimed asylum in another EU country will be transferred to these facilities and accommodated there – with sharply reduced social benefits – until they can be returned under the Dublin system. While business associations had feared a patchwork of municipal regulations, the centres will be run by federal authorities, providing a uniform framework for employers that wish to visit or recruit residents.
At this juncture, employers grappling with the nuances of Germany’s evolving asylum and labour-migration landscape can turn to VisaHQ for real-time guidance on visa options, document requirements and application timelines. The company’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) consolidates the latest federal rules and lets HR teams pre-check eligibility, book courier services and track submissions—tools that will be especially useful when secondary-migration centres become operational.
![German coalition clinches deal to implement EU asylum reform – ‘secondary-migration centres’ and quicker work access agreed]()
A controversial new legal instrument, the Asylverfahrenshaft, will allow judges to place applicants in short-term detention if there is a risk of absconding prior to removal. Interior officials insist the measure will be used sparingly, but human-rights groups warn that families could be affected. For mobility managers the main operational change is positive: asylum seekers will be allowed to accept paid employment after three months in Germany instead of six. Sectors such as logistics, hospitality and agriculture – which routinely draw on asylum applicants under the “3+2” tolerated-stay scheme – expect an expanded talent pool in the crucial summer hiring season.
The labour-market concession was the price the CDU/CSU paid for SPD support of tougher border and benefits rules. Employers welcomed the quid-pro-quo. “Faster access to work reduces social-welfare costs and speeds up integration,” said Tina Weber, head of global mobility at the Federation of German Industries (BDI). She urged the government to publish detailed implementing ordinances within 60 days so that corporate HR teams can update assignment handbooks in time for the July start date.
Practically, the agreement means that companies sponsoring in-country status changes for staff whose asylum claims are rejected must now factor in the geographic constraints of the new centres. Relocation providers expect higher costs for transport and orientation, while tax advisors note that residence in a federal centre could affect municipal taxation. Still, the coalition deal finally gives Germany’s mobility ecosystem a roadmap for the next wave of asylum-related workforce integration.
Central to the deal is the creation of up to eight so-called Sekundärmigrationszentren (“secondary-migration centres”) near major transport hubs. Migrants who should have claimed asylum in another EU country will be transferred to these facilities and accommodated there – with sharply reduced social benefits – until they can be returned under the Dublin system. While business associations had feared a patchwork of municipal regulations, the centres will be run by federal authorities, providing a uniform framework for employers that wish to visit or recruit residents.
At this juncture, employers grappling with the nuances of Germany’s evolving asylum and labour-migration landscape can turn to VisaHQ for real-time guidance on visa options, document requirements and application timelines. The company’s Germany portal (https://www.visahq.com/germany/) consolidates the latest federal rules and lets HR teams pre-check eligibility, book courier services and track submissions—tools that will be especially useful when secondary-migration centres become operational.
A controversial new legal instrument, the Asylverfahrenshaft, will allow judges to place applicants in short-term detention if there is a risk of absconding prior to removal. Interior officials insist the measure will be used sparingly, but human-rights groups warn that families could be affected. For mobility managers the main operational change is positive: asylum seekers will be allowed to accept paid employment after three months in Germany instead of six. Sectors such as logistics, hospitality and agriculture – which routinely draw on asylum applicants under the “3+2” tolerated-stay scheme – expect an expanded talent pool in the crucial summer hiring season.
The labour-market concession was the price the CDU/CSU paid for SPD support of tougher border and benefits rules. Employers welcomed the quid-pro-quo. “Faster access to work reduces social-welfare costs and speeds up integration,” said Tina Weber, head of global mobility at the Federation of German Industries (BDI). She urged the government to publish detailed implementing ordinances within 60 days so that corporate HR teams can update assignment handbooks in time for the July start date.
Practically, the agreement means that companies sponsoring in-country status changes for staff whose asylum claims are rejected must now factor in the geographic constraints of the new centres. Relocation providers expect higher costs for transport and orientation, while tax advisors note that residence in a federal centre could affect municipal taxation. Still, the coalition deal finally gives Germany’s mobility ecosystem a roadmap for the next wave of asylum-related workforce integration.
