analysis
After the fourth consultation on the subject of migration within a year, the Prime Ministers Rhein and Weil are united and satisfied with Chancellor Scholz. But there are no new ideas.
The heads of government of the federal states once again discussed migration with Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The position of the federal states has been clear for a long time: immigration to Germany should be limited in the long term.
At the press conference following the deliberations, Prime Ministers Boris Rhein and Stephan Weil as well as Chancellor Scholz said they were united and satisfied with the results. But not much concrete came out.
“Today we discussed three points in particular with the Chancellor: What has been achieved, what still needs to be implemented and what measures are necessary,” said Hesse’s Prime Minister Rhein. The CDU politician currently chairs the Prime Minister’s Conference.
The federal and state governments have already achieved a lot in the past few months, such as classifying Georgia and Moldova as safe countries of origin or discussions about payment cards that the federal states want to issue to asylum seekers instead of cash payments. Now it is particularly about examining asylum procedures in transit and third countries, but also about issues such as Frontex and return agreements, said Rhein.
Because: “More fundamental change”
The states are putting pressure on the so-called third-country solution: the federal government should examine this possibility by summer, according to the draft resolution ARD capital studio is present.
“If you take everything together that we have set out to do, it is a fundamental change in our immigration policy,” said Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Weil. A lot is being implemented, said the SPD politician. However, one cannot promise anyone that this will be reflected in access figures within a month.
There are different reasons for this, says Weil. It will take about some time until appropriate systems are established at the EU’s external borders after the EU asylum compromise. Labor market integration is particularly important for the acceptance of immigration, emphasized Weil. The necessary discussions should now follow.
Scholz: “Framework conditions created”
“The three meetings last year and today’s meeting are actually part of a fundamental change in the management of irregular migration in Germany,” explained Chancellor Scholz. In 2023, the most fundamental changes to migration policy of the past 25 years were initiated. The federal government has passed the laws, which creates the framework conditions.
Far-reaching decisions have also been made regarding labor market integration, said Scholz. “Work bans that previously existed for refugees have largely been lifted.”
Various models at “Third state solution”
The federal and state governments have been discussing various solutions for months: asylum procedures in third countries, migration agreements, accelerated deportations, increased controls at intra-European borders or the payment card, which the federal states now want to introduce instead of cash payments.
But the ongoing debate shows that many details of these approaches have not yet been worked out – and it is also questionable whether they are compatible with international law. The Federal Ministry of the Interior is currently discussing the idea of carrying out asylum procedures in countries outside the EU at a specialist level – with the result that it is not even clear what this solution is supposed to be about.
Payment card “well on track”
There seems to be progress with payment cards. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther told the ARD capital studio, the measure is on the right track. Hesse’s head of government Rhein also praised the process. It could start by summer.
Upper limit practically impossible to implement
When asked about an upper limit for refugees, as Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer is currently calling for, Rhein said he could not rule it out. But the demand, which has already been made several times by the Union, was not specifically incorporated into the decision this time either.
Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger criticized the fact that it is still unclear how such an upper limit should be implemented in accordance with the law. According to a ruling by the European Court of Justice, deportations to internal EU borders are not permitted.
Pressure from CDU-led countries
In the run-up to today’s deliberations, the CDU-led state leaders in particular had increased the pressure on the federal government. North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst warned yesterday that the low number of refugees would rise again as temperatures rise.
The CDU-led countries had hoped for more from the debate about safe countries of origin. Asylum procedures for people from countries of origin where the recognition rate is up to five percent should therefore be carried out more quickly. The state of Hesse recorded this again in a note today.
There won’t be any more money
The excessive demands placed on municipalities and states are also reflected in their finances. “For every euro that comes from the federal government, I add another two euros so that the district administrators, the local mayors are in a position to do justice to the people who come,” said Wüst yesterday in the ARD program Maischberger. Nothing remains with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
But there won’t be any more money. Chancellor Scholz was only willing to discuss the question of adjusting the so-called per capita flat rate. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther is also disappointed by this. “A dynamization of costs would have been good,” said Günther after the press conference.