ML-Implode News - 'It took on a life of its own': how one rogue tweet led Syrians to Germany

But a year on, the long-term consequences of the tweet are gradually becoming apparent. In April, the European commission revealed a wide-ranging shake-up of the Dublin system, which has long been criticised by human rights lawyers for unfairly pushing the main burden of asylum applications to poorer countries on the periphery of the EU while protecting wealthier landlocked member states.
Yet sources close to BAMF insist the tweet had not been intended to torpedo the unloved law, but as an emergency decluttering measure, freeing the agency from additional bureaucracy before it was unable to cope.

According to Gerald Knaus, the initial architect of the EU-Turkey deal and the head of the European Stability Initiative thinktank, the tweet was not intended to signal a major policy change, and was not written by senior policymakers.

"It was seen as simply stating the obvious -- they had already stopped trying to send Syrians back -- and it wasn't considered how it would be perceived," said Knaus. "It took on a life on its own, because it confirmed that anyone who got to Germany could stay. It wasn't a new decision -- but it sent out a signal."

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'It took on a life of its own': how one rogue tweet led Syrians to Germany