Migration officer Stamp: Between recruitment and deportation

The FDP politician Joachim Stamp should in future ensure that migration to Germany is more orderly and that the deportation of rejected asylum seekers works better. Not an easy job.

A lot of work awaits Joachim Stamp because he is starting from scratch. There has never been a special representative for migration agreements. The FDP politician must first look for employees.

His new home is the Federal Ministry of the Interior. From there, the 52-year-old is supposed to negotiate migration agreements – with countries from which many people come to Germany. They should undertake to accept rejected asylum seekers. In return, Germany could offer more visas or on-site qualification courses to facilitate legal immigration. Most recently, the federal government concluded such an agreement with India.

Are countries of origin willing to talk?

He does not want to say publicly which countries Stamp will approach first – so as not to jeopardize the talks. Stamp steams in an interview with that ARD Capital Studio the expectations: “We won’t be able to solve all the problems overnight.” The FDP politician speaks of a long way. It will take a very long time before there is success.

One problem: Many countries are not willing to take rejected asylum seekers back. For example, because the foreign currency of compatriots from abroad is an important source of income.

In addition, some governments are opting out of direct negotiations. “We have to tell the citizens that returns to Syria and Afghanistan are currently virtually impossible and that we should therefore concentrate on the countries where it is actually possible.”

Cooperation with federal states is necessary

According to statistics from the Federal Office for Migration, around 50,000 people are currently having to leave Germany immediately. Last year, however, just under 13,000 people were deported.

That describes how big the task for the new special representative is. But not only for him. The federal states are usually responsible for deportations. Stamp wants to work closely with them.

From North Rhine-Westphalia to Berlin

Stamp was the integration minister in North Rhine-Westphalia and deputy prime minister himself until the middle of last year. The FDP politician has gained a reputation as a pragmatist who also addresses problems.

Stamp was in Iraq in autumn 2019 as state minister. Looking back, he said he wanted diplomatic assurances from the migration minister there that those who were considered to be at risk of being deported would not be tortured or face the death penalty. But Stamp’s options were limited, after all he was only the integration minister of one federal state at the time.

Now he can act on behalf of the federal government – if the responsible ministries let the FDP politician. After all, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Labour, the Foreign Office and the Ministry for Economic Cooperation are in the hands of the SPD and the Greens.

Not just deportations

Together, Ampel has decided to make progress in migration policy. The coalition agreement speaks of a “repatriation offensive”. However, Stamp does not see himself as a deportation officer.

Finally, the federal government is also working on a law on the immigration of skilled workers and has passed the “Chancen-Aufenthaltsgesetz” (Chancen Residence Act), which allows long-term tolerated persons to stay in Germany.

According to him, migration policy has been too passive in the past. Stamp wants to stand for a more active politics. Those who approach other countries also have more opportunities. But Stamp puts the brakes on: That doesn’t happen overnight. “But what is possible is that we start now. And I’m looking forward to that.”