Interior Minister Faeser continues to reject stationary border controls. These would set back the development of the EU “decades”. At the same time, she defended the controversial compromise on the right to asylum.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has rejected demands from the federal states, municipalities and the Union for stationary border controls. “I want to defend the heart of the European Union – open borders inside. Raising barriers would set us back decades,” she told the “Bild am Sonntag”. “It would do massive damage to our economy, the many commuters and families on both sides of the border with our neighboring countries.”
Minister expects falling refugee figures
At the same time, Faeser defended the planned reform of the European asylum rules against criticism and added that she expects the number of refugees in Germany to fall: “This is a compromise that has never been reached before. We have overcome a deep division in Europe. We control the external borders, and therefore the borders within Europe can remain open.”
But it is also clear that Germany will continue to protect people “who flee to us from terrible wars, from torture and murder. But this responsibility will be shared among more shoulders in the future. That will also relieve Germany,” said Faeser.
Compromise sparks fierce controversy
The EU interior ministers agreed on Thursday to tighten the right to asylum. A central point is the introduction of procedures at the EU’s external borders. The agreement has provoked fierce criticism and controversy, including within the Greens.
There was no alternative to a European solution, Faeser continued. “Not to act would mean allowing the misery at the external borders and deaths in the Mediterranean to continue. Until the new rules take effect, we will also act nationally. We have significantly strengthened border protection measures to prevent unauthorized entry.”
Contradiction from Union and countries
The state interior ministers of the Union had demanded additional controls at the German-Polish border via the “Bild” newspaper from Faeser. These could be ended “at short notice” if the EU asylum compromise takes effect.
The first parliamentary director of the Union faction in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei (CDU), also called for the introduction of stationary border controls, including on the German-Polish border: “As long as we do not have effective external border protection in Europe, we also need the possibility of internal border controls”. , he said RTL/ntv.