The traffic light coalition and the CDU/CSU have discussed further measures to limit irregular migration. The Union is not convinced by what the government is proposing – it has declared the talks a failure.
The traffic light government and the Union failed to find common ground at their second migration meeting in the Federal Ministry of the Interior – but the government is nevertheless planning reforms. The first parliamentary secretary of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, Thorsten Frei, said in Berlin that the governing parties had “not put forward any proposal that would actually lead to rejections at the border beyond the usual level.” Union parliamentary group leader Friedrich Merz declared the talks a failure.
The coalition obviously does not see itself in a position to comprehensively reject refugees at the German borders, said the CDU chairman. “This means that the attempt to take a common path has failed.” He misses leadership on this issue from Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). In return, traffic light politicians accused the Union of irresponsibility.
Traffic light coalition wants to clarify national responsibility for asylum seekers more quickly
At the meeting, which was also attended by representatives of the federal states, Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) proposed a model to bring asylum seekers who have already been registered elsewhere more quickly to the European states responsible for them. According to the minister, the traffic light government made up of the SPD, the Greens and the FDP now wants to pursue these plans without the Union. Faeser admitted: “If we want to establish this as a good system now, we need more staff so that the federal police can manage it in the long term.”
For the concrete implementation of the planned acceleration, cooperation with the affected federal states is necessary, said Faeser. She has already noticed interest in this from some states.
CDU politician Frei criticized that the plans were not aimed at additional rejections at the German borders, but at accelerated procedures in Germany. Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) said that keeping people in the border area would be more effective than pushing them back across the green border, where it is to be expected that those pushed back would then make another attempt to enter the country elsewhere. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) criticized that the Union representatives had “stood up even though we have not yet discussed many issues.”
The Union had wanted to declare an emergency by invoking Article 72 of the EU Treaty in order to be able to deviate from normal European procedures. According to the traffic light coalition, there is no legal basis for this.
Detention places as close to the border as possible
According to the changes planned by the traffic light coalition, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) is to operate the so-called Dublin procedure more quickly in the future. This determines which European country is responsible for an asylum procedure. In many cases, this is the state in whose territory the asylum seeker first set foot on European soil.
Meanwhile, the federal police are to check whether there are any free prison places and, if necessary, apply to the relevant court for detention so that those affected do not go into hiding. “The state judiciary needs to act quickly here. There must also be a sufficient number of prison places in the states, preferably near the border along the migration routes,” it said. “Alternatively, a fixed allocation and residence requirement should be provided if detention is not an option,” government sources said.
The federal government wants to seek dialogue so that the countries that are supposed to take back migrants cooperate. This is where things are currently often stuck. Administrative courts should decide quickly on any complaints filed by those affected against their transfer.
Greater role for the Federal Police
A real innovation is the planned larger role for the Federal Police. Up to now, deportations have been the responsibility of the federal states, and the Federal Police only supports the implementation. In future, the Federal Police will then bring the people out of Germany at the end of the planned accelerated procedure.
“In addition, Germany continues to rely on close cooperative cooperation with its neighbouring countries, for example through joint patrols and joint police centres at the borders. An immediate rejection at the borders beyond current practice would massively endanger this cooperation,” it continued.
Union set conditions for meeting
After a first meeting last week, the Union had made it a condition for a further meeting that comprehensive rejections at the borders would also be discussed.
SPD parliamentary group vice-chair Dirk Wiese said after the meeting: “The Union wanted to force its way through the wall with its idea of blanket rejections.” However, there are massive concerns about this under European law, which his parliamentary group also shares. “The door remains open for further discussions on legally secure solutions,” emphasized Wiese.
He said that with its plans, the government was reacting to demands from local authorities not to distribute people who are not entitled to protection in Germany in the first place. “It is a tragedy that the Union is not living up to its responsibility for our country and is continuing to pursue a policy of show effects without substance,” said the Green Party’s first parliamentary secretary, Irene Mihalic.
Border controls are being expanded
The day before the meeting, Faeser had already ordered temporary controls at all German land borders in order to further reduce the number of illegal entries. The additional controls are to begin on September 16 and will initially last for six months. In addition to limiting irregular migration, the ministry also cited the protection of internal security against current threats from Islamist terrorism and cross-border crime as reasons for the controls now ordered.
Rejections currently only occur in certain cases: if someone is banned from entering the country or does not apply for asylum. Rejections at Germany’s internal borders are generally only possible where there are controls directly at the border.
According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, more than 30,000 people have been turned back since October. In mid-October 2023, Faeser ordered stationary controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland. Such controls, which are justified by irregular migration, have been in place at the German-Austrian land border since September 2015. The newly ordered controls directly at the border affect the land borders with France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The debate about irregular migration and deportations has also intensified due to several violent acts. In Solingen, three people were killed and eight others injured in a suspected Islamist knife attack at a town festival in August. A 26-year-old Syrian is in custody for the crime.
The chairwoman of the AfD parliamentary group, Alice Weidel, said: “The migration crisis in Germany can only be solved through comprehensive border controls and the consistent rejection of illegal migrants.”
Source: Stern
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