Summit on Zugspitze: Minister are pushing for deportations and harder asylum policy

Germany no longer sits in the “braking house” during migration, but in the locomotive, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) makes clear at the beginning of his statement. The Federal Minister of the Interior had immediately invited five of his European counterparts to the highest mountain in Germany to advise on pressing questions of migration policy. The result is a joint explanation in which Germany, Austria, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic and France urge consistent deportations and further tightening in migration policy.

Dobrindt praised the declaration as “signal of unity, visibility and the common commitment”. EU interior commissioner Magnus Brunner also took part in the talks. The most important thing.

Deportation also enable Syria and Afghanistan

“Effective returns are an indispensable prerequisite for trust in a balanced European migration policy,” says the joint explanation. This also included deportations to Syria and Afghanistan. These should “be possible”, the ministers state. So far, the departure of rejected asylum seekers to these two countries has been associated with high hurdles.

It was only in the morning from Leipzig that a deportation freight with 81 Afghan offenders started the Afghan capital Kabul. The men are “heavy and heaviest criminals,” said Dobrindt in the ARD “Morgenmagazin”. For such deportations there is “a very legitimate interest of the citizens.”

It was the first deportation of this kind since the black and red coalition under Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). Because of the Taliban prevailing in Afghanistan and their brutal regime, refugee organizations such as Pro Asylum repeatedly exercise sharp criticism of deportations to Afghanistan.

The federal government has no official relationships with the Taliban. The current deportation freight came about through the mediation of Qatar. Dobrindt emphasized that Germany would have to be able to make deportations without “strategic partners” like Qatar in the future. “There is no right to stay in our country,” he affirmed.

Return in states outside the EU

The interior ministers agree: so-called third countries, i.e. non-EU countries, should better help to accept those obliged to leave. In the future, rejected asylum seekers should be able to be brought to safe centers outside the EU.

These so-called “return hubs” or return centers are already working at the EU level. They are part of the commission proposal for the reform of the EU Return Directive. These are institutions in which national authorities, together with EU agencies such as Frontex, should coordinate and prepare returns.

In this context, the interior ministers are also committed to a stronger mandate of the border protection agency Frontex: “In the future, Frontex should also receive the mandate for carrying out returns from third countries such as the western Balkan states,” it says.

“In order to reduce illegal migration flows”, there must generally be constructive cooperation with origin and transit countries, the ministers emphasize. The reform of the European asylum system (GEAS) decided at EU level should be implemented quickly and consistently. For this, the EU must provide sufficient financial resources, it is said.

Fight against smugglers and smugglers

Another joint demand is a consistent approach to smugglers and smugglers. In this context, the Interior Minister calls on the EU Commission to work more actively for the conclusion of international agreements to exchange personal data between Europol and relevant third countries such as Turkey. The law enforcement authorities of the EU member states should work with these countries from the point of view of the Interior Minister Enger. The ministers demand that illegal cash flows would also have to be pursued more.

EU Commissioner Brunner emphasized that Europe had to decide for himself who entered the continent, and not the tugs and smugglers. “We have to give people back the feeling that we have control over what happens in Europe,” he said. This is important so that populists do not get any more. With the EU asylum reform, asylum procedures would be faster.

“It is really unacceptable that only one of four who are illegally in Europe are actually returned.” This should be better with the reform of the return regulations.

The invited interior ministers also emphasized the need for restrictive asylum and migration policy. Dobrindt’s French counterpart Bruno Retailleau said that the procedure against irregular migration is important for democracy, the population demanded this.

Poland emphasizes the wish for Europe without border controls

Poland Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said migrants were used as a weapon. Belarus and Russia wanted to influence that migrants came, he said according to the interpretation. Therefore, stronger border controls are needed. At the same time, he expressed the desire to come back to the actually border control-free trip in the Schengen area, which most EU countries belong to.

Siemoniak also alluded to the tightened border controls from the German side, which Interior Minister Dobrindt had ordered shortly after taking office. It is not foreseeable that he refrains from this course again. Quite the opposite. Dobrindt emphasized: “This is the change of politics in Germany. This is the change of policy that a new federal government has also announced.”