Commentary on the federal-state meeting: A turning point in migration policy

The federal and state governments have agreed on how costs for refugees should be distributed and migration should be limited. A turnaround that was previously hard to imagine. But whether ideas become laws is now in the hands of the parties.

When refugees are discussed in Germany, it is usually emotional. This is one of the reasons why all democratic parties recently agreed: migration is not suitable for party politics, the potential for division in society is too great, and only populist parties like the AfD benefit too much from it.

So no party politics. And so it is in keeping with this wish that representatives of all democratic parties are looking together for the best way to limit migration while at the same time maintaining humanitarian standards. The Chancellor speaks of the “Germany Pact” and meets the opposition leader and the heads of the federal states. The result: a turning point in migration policy. Stop saying “We can do it” and move on to “We can’t do it like this anymore and for this reason we have to change a few things.”

Hard to imagine years ago

What the Prime Minister and the Chancellor have now decided would have been hardly imaginable a few years ago. The federal government wants to check whether asylum procedures are possible outside Europe. Rwanda is often cited as an example at this point. The aim is to check whether there is a reason for asylum or not, in the hope that people with rejected asylum applications will not continue traveling at all.

A project that is associated with considerable legal hurdles, but would be progress if it worked.

Deterrence and perspectives

Several measures should make it clear: Germany is becoming less attractive as a target country. Instead of cash, payment cards will be distributed in the future; you will only be entitled to citizen’s money after three years at the most and no longer after one and a half. In addition, more and more deportations should be carried out and border controls should at least give the impression that the state has the situation under control at all times.

All of this is, if you will, the dark side of the coin. There is also a bright one. The federal and state governments agree that migrants with prospects of staying should enter the job market more quickly. This would not only relieve the burden on the welfare state, but also help with integration. And maybe it will finally work to make administrative processes more digital and therefore faster. The fact that we even have to talk about this in 2023 is actually embarrassing enough.

From idea to law

The Prime Minister’s Conference has now made decisions. But it only becomes concrete and therefore reality with laws and others make them. The traffic light government writes down, the Bundestag agrees. And that’s exactly where it becomes clear what becomes reality and what remains ideas. Above all, it then becomes clear whether migration policy is once again being used as party politics or whether the “Germany Pact” stands. If you look at the first statements made by leading Union politicians, you may have doubts. Too little, just a small step – that’s the tenor.

The Union has also contributed to Germany’s attempts to fundamentally change its migration policy. But apparently the classic logic of being fundamentally against it as an opposition still prevails at the moment. And that is not enough. After so many years of government responsibility, the Union bears at least some responsibility.