Germany orders up to 100,000 asylum cases re-checked

BERLIN – Germany’s top security official says he’s ordered the re-examination of up to 100,000 decisions granting asylum to migrants after uncovering mistakes in a smaller probe undertaken after a German soldier was able to pass himself off as a Syrian refugee in a bizarre far-right plot.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told reporters Wednesday that checks of 2,000 applications revealed no other cases like that of Franco A., who managed to pass himself off as a Syrian refugee in 2015, get a place at a refugee home and receive state financial aid. Authorities allege he was part of a far-right plot to assassinate political figures and blame refugees.

But de Maiziere said other errors were uncovered and he’s ordered 80,000 to 100,000 decisions to be re-checked.