Federal and state governments
Exploring a bipartisan migration compromise
Hesse’s Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU) and spokesman for the Prime Minister’s Conference, on the way to the Chancellery. photo
© Britta Pedersen/dpa
So far, the federal and state governments have argued a lot about refugee policy. That should change now. Olaf Scholz invited the two chairmen of the Prime Minister’s Conference to the Chancellery.
For the first time, the federal government, the Union and the states have jointly looked for solutions to deal with irregular migration to Germany. The Chancellor met for this purpose Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Friday evening in Berlin with opposition leader Friedrich Merz (CDU) and the two Prime Ministers Boris Rhein (CDU) and Stephan Weil (SPD). The meeting at Scholz’s invitation in the Chancellery was intended to explore similarities and differences. The states had previously shown broad agreement at the Prime Minister’s Conference in Frankfurt and, among other things, demanded greater financial support from the federal government.
“The measures taken so far are not yet sufficient to limit irregular migration,” says a resolution by the Prime Minister’s Conference (MPK). Among other things, the states called on the federal government to take effective measures to speed up the asylum process, to prevent unauthorized entries, for example through stationary border controls at the borders with the Czech Republic and Poland, and to create the conditions for the introduction of a nationwide uniform payment card for asylum seekers. When it comes to financing the reception of refugees, MPK Chairman Rhein said: “The federal government has to make significant moves here, that’s clear.”
Rhein thanked Scholz for inviting him to the interview. “I think this is how you can really run a country in such a way that the citizens have the feeling that they care, that they have it under control and that they are making big steps.” However, no decisions were expected on Friday evening. This will only be available at the next MPK on November 6th, in which Scholz will also take part. According to government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit, the Chancellor saw the meeting as an “information discussion” and “exchange of opinions”.
The number of refugees has risen sharply
The background is the sharp increase in the number of refugees in Germany. The federal states expect that significantly more than 300,000 people will come to Germany this year – not counting refugees from Ukraine. The resolution of the Prime Minister’s Conference states: “The heads of government of the federal states see the federal government as having a duty to implement an asylum policy characterized by humanity and order.”
According to the wishes of the federal states, asylum procedures for people with little prospect of staying should be processed more quickly in the future. The stated goal is to complete the asylum procedure and the legal proceedings that often follow in three months. If necessary, the personnel and organizational requirements would be created. The federal government is responsible for asylum procedures, more precisely the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). The administrative court proceedings concern the state judicial authorities.
The aim should be to speed up the process with priority processing of applications from people from countries with a low recognition rate, explained Weil. This is a practical step that has more effect than the debate that has been going on for years about which other countries should be classified as so-called safe countries of origin.
A particular point of contention: the financing issues
Rhein said they wanted to “come to a harmonization of social benefit standards” for asylum seekers and refugees within the European Union. However, with reference to the Federal Constitutional Court’s requirements for the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act, he warned against excessive expectations.
A particular point of contention between the federal and state governments is financing issues. In their decision, the states demand an annual flat rate of 1.25 billion euros from the federal government and at least 10,500 euros per migrant. He should also fully cover the accommodation costs.
Weil said many municipalities are financially overburdened. “If it’s difficult for the mayors, then they must at least have the impression that they are being supported as best as possible by their state.” The countries do this. “Our expectation is that the federal government will follow suit at this point.”
The heads of government of the federal states in Frankfurt did not completely agree. Bremen stated in a statement that it was against “discriminatory measures such as additional work obligations that go beyond the current legal situation or payment cards that do not allow cash withdrawals.” Thuringia also did not agree with individual points. Bavaria repeated Prime Minister Markus Söder’s (CSU) call for an “integration limit” for asylum immigration. For this purpose, “legal changes, including those of a constitutional nature,” must be examined.
Weil was nevertheless relieved about the general agreement. The prime ministers are very aware of the mood among the population. “We are firmly determined to all work together to regain the trust of the population,” emphasized the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony.