"The @BAMF_Dialog arrival center in Bremen will no longer make any decisions on granting asylum until the end of the investigation. This is Minister [Horst] #Seehofer's decision," BAMF posted on its Twitter account.
The corruption scandal around BAMF erupted in April, after it was revealed that a former official from the institution's Bremen regional office and his four colleagues took bribes in exchange for granting around 1,200 refugees asylum, although they did not meet the criteria.
READ MORE: Germany to Build Deportation Centers for Unwanted Migrants — Reports
Germany has become a major destination for thousands of migrants and refugees from the Middle East amid instability caused by the civil war in Syria and the activity of the Daesh* terrorist group in the region. According to BAMF, between 2014 and 2016 Germany received over one million asylum applications, more than any other country in the European Union. As a result of the influx, the German authorities have tightened migration controls.
*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS) is a terrorist group banned in Russia
