Germany is planning to increase the number of asylum seekers it detains in airports in the latest attempt to toughen its border policies.

In a draft law, Berlin proposes holding asylum-seekers from countries with acceptance rates below 20 per cent across the EU on airport premises.

Their cases will be heard while they are detained in specially-built facilities.

Berlin already holds some asylum-seekers in airports. Those who tear up their passports on landing, or come from countries Berlin itself deems safe, are put-up on site in five airports.

But changing the rules so that all from countries with below 20 per cent acceptance rates across the EU would significantly widen the detention scheme.

More airport holding pens would likely have to be constructed and the government of Olaf Scholz, the centre-Left chancellor, is seeking advice from the European Commission on the legality of its proposed law.

Mr Scholz has made toughening Germany’s migration policies a key plank of his agenda as he risks losing support to the Right, which has called for far tighter rules.

Fewer than 20 per cent of migrants from Pakistan, Turkey, Bangladesh, India, Serbia, Tunisia and Georgia are granted asylum status across the bloc.

Some 300, 000 asylum seekers entered Germany illegally last year. Berlin’s officials have told their EU counterparts that airports and ports are the only external borders of the bloc in Germany.