Germany's controversial policy to turn back migrants at the country's border, even if they apply for asylum, has been criticized by the federal commissioner for police.
In comments released on Wednesday, Uli Grötsch said the government should respect a ruling by a Berlin administrative court which found the measures incompatible with European law.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has argued that the decision related only to a specific case involving three Somalian nationals who were turned away at the Polish border last month.
"That doesn't work for me," said Grötsch. Dobrindt must "find a regulation that complies with European law," he argued, preferably in consultation with neighbouring countries such as Poland.
The new German government imposed the measure shortly after taking office in May, along with additional police checks on the country's borders.
Warsaw imposed retaliatory border controls on Germany earlier this week.
Grötsch pointed out that the intensified border controls have resulted in a high number of overtime hours for German police, although he said that working conditions have improved in recent weeks.
Grötsch's role as federal commissioner for the police, created in 2024, serves as a point of contact for officers and citizens to report misconduct or structural shortcomings in federal police.