German Government Approves Use of AI in Migration Authorities
The German cabinet has approved a draft law to use artificial intelligence in asylum and residence permit procedures. The bill still needs approval from the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
On Wednesday, July 29, the German cabinet approved a draft law on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the country's migration authorities, as reported by the government press service via Deutsche Welle.
Under the proposal, AI will be employed in administrative procedures related to granting asylum and residence permits. The bill is based on key principles adopted by the federal government in November 2025 for the use of AI in visa and migration procedures.
How Will AI Be Used?
AI will be able to compare data from applications with publicly available information on the internet – but only in cases where there are justified doubts about the accuracy of the data. The government stated that digitalization will speed up procedures, enable systematic analysis, and allow for targeted use of resources while ensuring legal certainty and data protection requirements.
Competent authorities will be allowed to use personal data obtained during asylum and residence permit procedures to develop AI-based systems and other automated programs. These programs will analyze procedural flows and decision-making models, accelerating application processing and decisions.
Criticism and Concerns
Human rights advocates have already criticized the initiative. NGO Algorithm Watch stated that the authorities want to use migrants and tourists as "guinea pigs." Organizations Pro Asyl and AWO pointed to the risk of "algorithmic bias" and predicted that overworked officials would too often automatically agree with AI recommendations. Caritas warned of a high risk of errors in application processing.
The government press release emphasized that responsibility for individual checks and decision-making remains entirely with the respective employees. The draft law still requires approval from the Bundestag and Bundesrat.
