Migration: Minister Faeser rejects an upper limit for refugees

Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) has rejected CSU leader Markus Söder’s proposal of an annual upper limit for refugees in Germany. “Upper limits cannot be adhered to because we have European law, international law, we cannot reduce the individual right to asylum on our own,” said Faeser on the ARD program “Anne Will” and added: “We are in Geneva Refugee Convention, bound to the European Convention on Human Rights.” Meanwhile, Söder called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to make the issue of migration a top priority.

Faeser said: “The only thing that will really help is a European solution.” The European Union needs to do more in terms of distribution. The municipalities are at their limits.

Söder for Germany pact against uncontrollable immigration

The Bavarian Prime Minister Söder had discussed an “integration limit” for the admission of refugees of around 200,000 people. In the program “Anne Will” he reiterated that the number 200,000 was a benchmark “in which integration in our country can still be successful.” We need border protection, a stop to special admission programs that only Germany offers, repatriation and a change in incentives, for example with citizens’ money. Söder emphasized that he was not in favor of abolishing individual asylum. “We need a shift towards a sustainable migration policy.”

Söder said he was immediately ready for a Germany pact against uncontrollable immigration. He called on Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to show leadership on the issue of migration. “The Chancellor, who has been silent for weeks, should now address the issue. The Chancellor must now show leadership here too, and he must also convince the Greens,” demanded Söder. He doesn’t know who in the government is blocking things, he suspects it’s the Greens when it comes to safe countries of origin.

There have recently been increasing warnings of overload from many states and municipalities. By the end of August, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees registered more than 204,000 initial applications for asylum – an increase of 77 percent compared to the same period last year. In addition, because of the Russian war, more than a million people from Ukraine sought protection in Germany without having to apply for asylum.

Merz: We have to quickly reduce the number of refugees

CDU leader Friedrich Merz supported Söder’s proposal for an upper limit. “Yes, it’s possible. But it’s not easy,” he told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “We’re not just talking about housing or schools, we’re also talking about hospitals, sensible training and real integration. That’s a real effort. We’ll only succeed if those who have been legally deported are consistently deported.”

Merz called for the entry of thousands of migrants per month into Germany to be quickly limited. “We have to solve this problem, otherwise it will get out of hand,” he said. “If we don’t want to overstretch the population’s willingness to help and our country’s ability to integrate, we have to quickly reduce the number of refugees coming to Germany.” In this context, he renewed his offer to Scholz “that we solve the refugee crisis together as the first part of his Germany pact.”

Merz recalled a statement by former Federal President Joachim Gauck, who spoke of an impending loss of control. “He said we will see ugly pictures. And if that is the case, then we have to find solutions quickly, otherwise we will experience this loss of control.”

Germany is not consistent enough in rejecting and deporting asylum seekers who have no claim, said Merz. “The Danes are very consistent in this regard. There are only benefits in kind and collective accommodation and those who have to leave the country are then consistently deported. By the way, from a social democratic government, they are not right-wing extremists.”

According to the federal government, almost 13,000 people who were required to leave the country were deported from Germany in 2022. According to the Central Register of Foreigners, around 304,000 people were required to leave the country at the end of 2022, around 248,000 of whom had a toleration permit. Tolerated people are people who are obliged to leave the country but cannot be deported for certain reasons. This could be because they do not have any identification documents, are sick or have a minor child who has a residence permit. Toleration is always limited.