With the participation of the Greens, the federal government has agreed to the tightening of the EU asylum rules. But the decision met with strong opposition from parts of the party. Interior Minister Faeser, on the other hand, was satisfied.
After the federal government’s approval of the planned tightening of European asylum rules, heated discussions are emerging among the Greens. No sooner had the EU interior ministers sealed the unification of their states with applause in Luxembourg than the dual leadership of the Green Party and the parliamentary group spoke up, each with two different assessments.
Nouripour: “Necessary step”
The co-party leader Omid Nouripour, who is considered a pragmatist, said on Thursday evening that central demands such as an exception for families with children in the border procedure had not been achieved. At the same time, he also spoke of “clear improvements” on Twitter. “There is a lot to discuss and we will continue to do so – in solidarity and respect – as we have always done as Greens. Overall, he comes to the conclusion that “approval is a necessary step in order to move forward together in Europe. “
Co-party leader Ricarda Lang was similarly differentiated, but came to a different conclusion. Also at the insistence of Germany, there are improvements such as the exception for unaccompanied minors, she wrote on Twitter. However, central points were not reached. “There will be no fundamental exceptions for children in border procedures, and a mandatory distribution mechanism could not be achieved, despite progress in solidarity and distribution.”
Lang concluded: “That is why I have come to the conclusion that Germany should not have agreed to the proposal for the CEAS reform in the Council today.” GEAS stands for Common European Asylum System. The rift also runs through the duo at the top of the parliamentary group: Britta Haßelmann supported the resolutions, Katharina Dröge rejected them.
Heinrich: “I’m stunned”
Massive criticism came from MEPs from the Greens. “The EU member states have lost their moral compass,” complained the spokesman for the German Greens in the European Parliament, Rasmus Andresen. “It is shameful that the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, with the approval of the traffic light coalition, also agreed to this proposal.” The good news is that this agreement is not yet law.
The leadership duo of the youth organization Green Youth, Timon Dzienus and Sarah-Lee Heinrich, said they were downright shocked. Dzienus wrote about the compromise on Twitter: “This is inhumane and I will not accept it like this”. Heinrich wrote: “I’m stunned. Foreclosure doesn’t mean that fewer people flee. It means that more people suffer.” Hundreds of Greens had recently warned of the asylum plans in a letter to top representatives of their party.
Baerbock and Habeck defend compromise
The Greens, who sit at the cabinet table with the SPD and FDP, agreed to the resolutions. Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck defended the compromise, citing the need for agreement in Europe. “I have great respect for those who come to different ratings for humanitarian reasons,” Habeck told the dpa news agency. “I hope they also see that there are reasons to recognize this result.”
Baerbock, who is currently traveling in Latin America, sent a detailed letter to the ARD Capital Studio available, to the parliamentary group of the Greens. The decision for the reform was difficult for her personally. The compromise that has now been reached is by no means easy. “It’s part of honesty: if we as the federal government could have decided on the reform on our own, then it would look different. But it’s also part of honesty: no compromise would have meant that no more refugees would be distributed at all.”
Faeser: “More on a Europe of open borders”
Her cabinet colleague from the FDP, Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, spoke on Twitter of a “historic breakthrough” and hoped that German municipalities would also be relieved. Interior Minister Faeser, who had approved the reform for Germany in Luxembourg, was also satisfied. “First of all, I’m very happy that this historic decision was made today,” she said daily topics-Interview.
It is important and right that asylum migration is now dealt with jointly instead of nationally. “We have been able to ensure that we can continue to be a Europe of open borders,” said Faeser. Otherwise it would not have been possible to keep it up because everyone would have simply isolated themselves. “We can no longer solve these big questions alone as nation states. That can only be done at European level.”
migration researcher worried
Sharp criticism of the resolutions came from Pro Asyl. “I think what the traffic light is doing is a historical mistake,” said the head of the European department, Karl Kopp, the editorial network Germany. “The traffic light accepts that human rights and the rule of law are sold out.” She didn’t push through a red line and accepted everything.
Migration researcher Bernd Kasparek said on Deutschlandfunk that it was worrying that the German interior minister, Faeser, was basically unable to get any point across. This shows how far to the right the consensus in the EU is at the moment. Even in a democracy there are a few red lines that should not be crossed. According to the researcher, what should now happen at the borders is no longer an asylum procedure. People could no longer put forward their reasons for fleeing and have their content checked.
Maria Sonnek from Aktion Seebrücke criticized the decision as misanthropic “suspension of a fair and constitutionally secured asylum process”. Instead of keeping the promises made in the coalition agreement, the federal government is giving in “to the right-wing and fascist governments and currents in Europe and is making violence against those seeking protection part of the European value system”.
New rules much more restrictive
The asylum procedures in the EU are to be significantly tightened in view of the problems with illegal migration. A sufficiently large majority of ministers in Luxembourg voted in favor of comprehensive reform plans. In particular, a much tougher treatment of migrants with no prospects of staying is planned.
In the future, people arriving from countries that are considered safe should come to strictly controlled reception facilities under conditions similar to detention after crossing the border. There, it would normally be checked within twelve weeks whether the applicant has a chance of asylum. If not, it should be sent back immediately.
In addition, the plans decided on Thursday also provide for more solidarity with the heavily burdened member states at the EU’s external borders. In the future, it should no longer be voluntary, but mandatory. Countries that do not want to take in refugees would be forced to pay compensation. Countries like Hungary therefore voted against the plan. According to the Commissioner responsible, Ylva Johansson, rejected asylum seekers can in principle also be deported to non-EU countries in the future. The only requirement should be that they have a connection to this country.