asylum reform
Merz: Protect internal EU borders better
CDU leader Friedrich Merz wants stricter border controls – even before the planned EU asylum reform. photo
© Daniel Karmann/dpa
The Union wants more national measures against irregular migration if the planned EU asylum reform does not come quickly. CDU boss Merz has concrete ideas for implementation.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz calls for better protection of the EU’s internal borders if the planned EU asylum reform is a long time coming. “The number of refugees coming to Germany will remain high for the foreseeable future and threatens to rise further in the summer,” he wrote in an email to his followers.
A start had been made with the EU asylum compromise, which was reached in Luxembourg on Thursday, but: “At the earliest in the course of 2024 there can be centers for the reception and registration of asylum seekers at the EU’s external borders.”
EU member states would have to take protective measures to reduce the number of refugees, writes Merz. “If the protection of the external borders of the EU is not sufficiently possible for the time being, the internal borders must be better protected. Every country has the right and also the obligation to control immigration into its own territory,” says the mail. “The freedom of movement within Europe is not in conflict with this.”
Faeser against internal border controls
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) opposed border controls within the EU in the “Bild am Sonntag”. “I want to defend the heart of the European Union – open borders inside,” she said in the interview. “It would set us back decades to raise barriers again. That would massively damage our economy, the many commuters and families on both sides of the borders with our neighboring countries.”
The majority of EU interior ministers voted in favor of a comprehensive reform. For example, people arriving from countries that are considered safe should come to reception facilities that are controlled similar to detention after crossing the border. There it should be checked within twelve weeks whether an applicant has a chance of asylum. If not, it should be sent back immediately. However, it is conceivable that the EU Parliament will still push through changes.