More judges and AI to speed up asylum procedures

Additional posts and artificial intelligence are to be used to speed up asylum procedures in Saxony and quickly relieve the three administrative courts.

A package of immediate measures was agreed at an asylum summit in Dresden, including the establishment of new asylum chambers and a personnel offensive. "Even if it will take some time for all of the agreed measures to take effect, now is the time to act," said Justice Minister Constanze Geiert (CDU) after the meeting. The aim is to find solutions to this urgent problem, also in the medium and long term. An expert commission is to accompany the immediate measures and identify further potential.

Additional judges and AI

In concrete terms, the Chemnitz Administrative Court is setting up two new asylum chambers, while the new Dresden Asylum Chamber, which has been in existence since January, and the Leipzig Administrative Court will be strengthened following the move to a new building. Currently, two chambers there handle more than 90 percent of asylum cases. The three administrative courts will receive a total of 17 additional judges.

In addition, the tried-and-tested assistant judge scheme at the Higher Regional Court (OLG) will be tested. Trainee judges can help with research and preliminary work in asylum proceedings as a part-time job.

In addition, it is being examined whether a central database set up in Baden-Württemberg can be used as a basis for judicial decisions - all available information on asylum seekers' countries of origin can be accessed in this database.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intended to facilitate certain workflows in proceedings with digital assistance - this involves the use of AI tools that other countries are already using or testing.

Enormous increase in asylum procedures

The administrative courts in Dresden, Chemnitz and Leipzig have been dealing with a considerable increase in asylum procedures for months, said the Minister of Justice.

While they recorded around 5,000 new cases per year from 2020 to 2023, this figure rose to over 8,000 in 2024. This trend is expected to continue in the current year, with consequences for the duration of proceedings, which currently average 16 months.