Cynical and inhuman: Bamf boss Sommer holds fire speech against asylum law

With a bang, a speech by the President of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), Hans-Eckhard Sommer, bursts into the coalition talks between the CDU/CSU and SPD. Summer on Monday afternoon in Berlin called for a “completely new protection system” and thus a factual abolition of the previous individual claim to asylum.

According to summer, those seeking protection from abroad should only be flown in in the future. “We would largely dry out the tractors’ business.” His lecture at an event at the Konrad-Adenauer Foundation, which he gave as a private individual according to his own statement, came to a settlement with German and European asylum policy.

During the speech in Berlin, the current head of the refugee office said: “Our cynical asylum system does not allow migration to be limited. It literally invites you to abuse.” The BAMF boss warned that the current system is irresponsible to those seeking protection and their own population. “Inner security and social cohesion are jeopardized.”

With a view to the ongoing coalition negotiations, Sommer warned the parties of national solutions. Germany has “almost no legislative responsibility” in asylum law. The notes not to have arrived yet. But a democracy that has no influence on such questions loses the backing of the citizens. Sommer warned: “We must not endanger the democratic constitutional state in its existence.”

He does not want to commit to an upper limit in the number of refugees, but there are social tilting points. “Responsible politics feels when the tilting point is reached,” said Sommer. “He has been reached.” Many municipalities have gone beyond their limit, the number of refugees, especially because of the closure of the Balkan route through Serbia. “I am not too hope that it stays that way.”

The entire system described summer as cynical. Germany and the EU financed tractors worldwide. To this end, one would get involved with governments that are questionable under the rule of law such as Libya so that these refugees kept away from Europe. In addition, the weakest would not come, but all those who could survive and pay for a trip: young men, especially from the middle class of the countries of origin.

Summer also criticized the solutions that are currently discussed: none was suitable for coding the problem. The BAMF boss sharply criticized the third country rule planned by the Union: “Anyone who thinks two deportation fees bring the refugee flows to a standstill, who believes in magic!” Otto Schily had already had the idea to outsource the procedures outside the EU. “A state has never found itself for it.” You also get blackmailable.

Summer was also skeptical about other solutions. In the EU-wide reform of the asylum system, GEAS, “central questions” remained open. Sommer asked the question in the room why states with external borders should adhere to the new rules, since they didn’t stick to the old ones either. “Why should that be different in the future?” Asked Sommer.

This public billing is also unusual for a top German official. But summer goes one step further and makes his own proposal in his speech: he wants a complete changeover of the asylum system to the “humanitarian admission of those in need of protection from abroad”. This is how Canada does it. “The consequence is: Any other claim to asylum and other property rights is no longer necessary.”

However, an EU-wide solution is needed, no national solo courses. The European Union would only accept refugees through this “humanitarian recording”, as Sommer calls it. For this, the head of the head demands quotas in “remarkable amount”. He emphasized that he was aware of the drastics of the proposal. According to Sommer, you would also have to change the European contracts and the Geneva refugee conventions. The Basic Law would also have to be changed.

Summer’s word is particularly important in the Union. The lawyer has headed the refugee office since 2018. He is a member of the CSU and was appointed head of the authority by Federal Minister of the Interior Horst Seehofer. In the past few years, Summer under Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) with political statements had been given hardly any interviews. He has now given up this reluctance.

Summer on Monday was asked from the audience whether he did not question a fundamental pillar of human rights and the European Union with his advance. Sommer replied: “We sunbathe that we help everyone and simply accept inhumanity for this path.” He thought his own proposal, he said, to be “extremely human”.