Escape: Union faction demands system change in migration policy

The leadership of the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag has accused the Greens of inaction in migration policy and demanded Europe-wide quotas for those in need of protection. “Our biggest problem in migration policy in Europe is the federal government,” said the Parliamentary Managing Director of the CDU/CSU MPs, Thorsten Frei, to the German Press Agency in Berlin.

The CDU politician renewed his call for a secure third country regulation with African countries such as Rwanda, Ghana and Senegal. In return, there should be contingents of those in particular need of protection who will be accepted into Germany and Europe. A system change in migration policy is necessary.

Frei recalled that last year around 350,000 asylum applications were submitted in Germany in addition to the Ukrainian war refugees. “Nothing has happened at European or national level to justify the expectation that there will be fewer asylum applications this year, on the contrary,” he added. In the first eight weeks of the year there were more than 50,000 asylum applications. Extrapolated to more than 300,000 applications this year.

Quota of 400,000 people in need of protection in Europe

In view of this, Frei proposed an admission quota of 300,000 to 400,000 people in particular need of protection per year in Europe. This roughly corresponds to the number of protection titles that have been issued on average in Europe over the past ten years. “If we are talking about 400,000 people in Europe, then that would mean around 150,000 to 180,000 people per year for Germany,” said Frei. It must be assumed that not all European countries would participate in such a quota solution.

Frei called on the federal government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to advocate for such a contingent model at the European level. Although this can only be implemented in Germany, it would be much wiser and more successful to do this in the European context. The reason: “Our problem in migration policy is not the European partners. They largely see it the same way as the Union in Germany. Our biggest problem in migration policy in Europe is the federal government.” The Greens in particular have to move because with their stance they are “basically holding all political actors and especially the population jointly liable.”

Free: Permanent protection in African third countries

According to Frei and the Union’s ideas, people in need of protection should in future receive permanent protection in a safe third country, for example in Africa. Human rights standards must be observed and upheld. Comprehensive contracts would have to be negotiated with the states that would not only finance the burdens for these states. Rather, “such countries should also be given easier access to the labor market, to the trade market here in Europe.” “We need a partnership on equal terms, but we should be ready for that,” demanded Frei.

Frei does not see any constitutional problems with the quota solution. The Basic Law does not say that you can choose the country of protection. “It’s just a matter of ensuring that this protection exists. And if we can guarantee that in another country, then it is of course possible.” A quota solution could also open up the possibility that “young, healthy and sufficiently wealthy men will not come to us as is currently the case”. Rather, women, children, the elderly and the sick could also come – “those who are really in need of protection and, under the given circumstances, have no chance at all of setting foot on European soil.”

For compulsory work for asylum seekers

Frei called for more opportunities to be used to get asylum seekers into work. An obligation to work can also be “very largely possible with the current legal situation”. Asylum seekers who have been in Germany for three months are “allowed to work in almost all cases”. However, there is “the situation that, especially for certain nationalities, mostly those with good prospects of staying, we have very poor integration into the labor market.” There is a correlation: “The better the prospects of staying, the worse the integration into the labor market.” Apparently people are “accommodating themselves to some extent in the conditions we have here.”

At the same time, the CDU politician admitted, given the often complicated recognition of training and professional qualifications: “We are sometimes so complicated that we don’t give people many chances.” The requirements here are often “so high that many people cannot work with us according to their qualifications”. There are also “extremely high social benefits in Germany”. Frei added: “We actually have structures within us that do not provide incentives for performance.” This should not be blamed on the asylum seekers, refugees or migrants, “but rather it is an accusation on us”. Frei demanded: “We need more performance-friendly structures.”