Despite the implementation of a unified EU asylum protocol aimed at ensuring migrant registration at external borders, Germany reports that most arrivals remain undocumented.

The Common European Asylum System (CEAS), launched earlier this summer, was designed to improve migrant tracking by requiring registration, including fingerprint collection, as migrants enter EU border nations. However, German border officials are encountering a significant number of individuals who have bypassed this process entirely.

Data from German authorities revealed that between mid-June and mid-August, over 7,300 migrants attempted unauthorized entry into the country. Shockingly, only 1.5% had their information recorded in Eurodac, the EU’s database for migrant identification. This widespread lack of documentation has raised concerns about compliance with the new rules across heavily impacted border nations.

Officials speculate that certain EU border countries might intentionally avoid documenting migrants to expedite their transit to other destinations. Meanwhile, political disagreements have intensified, with Germany urging Italy to take back asylum seekers it is deemed responsible for, but Italy has resisted these returns. Experts warn that it is too early to assess the full impact of the asylum reforms.