Germany has acted unlawfully by turning away asylum seekers at the border, a Berlin court ruled on Monday, citing a case in which border police expelled three Somalis who tried to enter the country from Poland.

In a legal setback for the German government, a Berlin court ruled on Monday that rejecting asylum seekers at border checks within German territory - without first initiating proper asylum procedures - is unlawful.

A Berlin court ruled that officials must investigate the claims of those arriving from neighboring E.U. counties, dealing a blow to the government’s attempt to reduce land migration.