Politicians want to limit illegal migration. Saxony’s Prime Minister Kretschmer is now calling for quick measures. In the Report from Berlin he calls stationary border controls – and the expansion of safe countries of origin.
In the debate about migration policy, Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer spoke out in favor of quick and strict measures. As an example, he cited systematic border controls with the neighboring countries Poland and the Czech Republic. “The situation is dramatic,” said the CDU politician Report from Berlin. Inpatient checks are therefore necessary in order to get the situation under control and to be able to turn people away. “We have no other choice.”
At the weekend, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) openly spoke out in favor of temporary stationary border controls in order to combat smuggling crime more aggressively. In addition, the veil search in the border areas must be expanded, she said. The Union then accused it of making unclear announcements and called for permanent border controls.
Kretschmer also criticized the federal government for what he saw as a long hesitation. “We have been talking to the federal government behind closed doors for a year, but nothing has happened.” This also applies to the issues of return agreements and safe countries of origin. We need to send a clear signal to the North African states and the people there: There is no point in setting off.” This could be achieved, for example, by classifying it as a safe country of origin.
“Repatriation agreement not wanted so far”
In addition, Germany would have to persuade these countries to take back their citizens who are obliged to leave Germany. These countries would receive development aid and there would be economic cooperation. “It will probably be possible for the Foreign Minister and others to set out and ensure that repatriation agreements are negotiated in North Africa. Of course, that’s possible if you want that. But that hasn’t been wanted so far.”
In general, it is important that “we as Germans first decide for ourselves based on a social consensus: How many people do we want to give protection per year? And the 200,000 were mentioned.” That is a number that you can use as a guide. If the numbers still rose faster, “you have to resort to other tools, other instruments.” When asked about his CDU party colleague Thorsten Frei’s suggestion to suspend the basic right to asylum, Kretschmer said: “You can’t take everything off the table at the beginning.”
Broad debate
Over the course of the weekend, numerous politicians had already spoken out. Appeals for cross-party action have become louder – but the debate is also becoming increasingly heated. Representatives of the federal government and the Union called for joint solutions at the weekend.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz criticized in the “Augsburger Allgemeine” an inconsistency in rejections and deportations. On Saturday he sharply attacked the federal government: “I offer you: Let’s do this together, and if you can’t manage it with the Greens, then throw them out, then we’ll do it with you – but we have to solve this problem solve,” he said at the CSU party conference in Munich.
Warning against populism
The SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil warned against populism. There is no such thing as a “magic measure”, he emphasized in “Bild am Sonntag”. In any case, the individual’s basic right to asylum should not be questioned. Klingbeil spoke out in favor of more border controls and a stronger fight against smugglers. Anyone who is allowed to stay in Germany must quickly get a work permit; However, anyone who cannot stay must leave the country.
A common European asylum system should be introduced as quickly as possible, demanded Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) in the “Bild” newspaper.
Traffic light argues
But there are also disputes within the traffic light coalition. The FDP called for a rethink among the co-governing Greens on the issue of limiting migration. Secretary General Bijan Djir-Sarai said: “We need a cross-party solution to the challenges in migration policy.” In this context, the Greens are called upon to give up their “blockades”.
“Whether with reforms at the European level or with the classification of safe countries of origin: the Greens are a security risk for the country in migration policy and, through unrealistic positions, make consistent government action and cross-party solutions more difficult,” criticized Djir-Sarai.