More than 1,000 new full-time positions, 300 million euros for quick asylum procedures: Interior Minister Faeser wants to strengthen the responsible federal office. Next week, the Prime Minister and Chancellor will discuss migration policy again.
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), which is responsible for asylum procedures, is to receive significantly more positions. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) spoke in the “Welt am Sonntag” of “1,160 additional forces”. When asked by the dpa news agency, a spokesman for her ministry said that it was about full-time positions. They want to fill these as quickly as possible. According to the BAMF, there are currently around 8,000 positions.
The federal government is doing a lot to speed up and digitalize asylum procedures, emphasized Faeser. The government is now investing an additional 300 million euros for this.
There is still no result in external asylum procedures
Faeser told the newspaper that the government is still examining the extent to which asylum procedures in third countries are feasible: “There are experts who believe such a regulation is possible, others say that the legal situation would have to be changed.” The benchmark is human rights, as protected in European law and the German constitution. She could imagine such proceedings “in states that are on the route to Western Europe and adhere to constitutional standards.” But the federal government will also examine the agreement between Italy and Albania to accept refugees with regard to its feasibility for Germany.
It is crucial that those affected are safe during the procedures and can be returned to their home countries by third countries if they do not need protection.
“Abolition of the individual right to asylum”
Criticism of possible proceedings in third countries comes from human rights organizations, among others. Pro-Asylum managing director Karl Kopp recently spoke of “partial withdrawals from refugee protection” and the “abolition of the individual right to asylum”. Amnesty International also took a clear stance against the ongoing considerations about outsourcing asylum procedures: “We appeal to the federal government not to fall for inhumane pseudo-solutions.”
The CSU in the Bundestag, on the other hand, wants an asylum pact with Rwanda based on the British model. “In Rwanda, asylum procedures could be carried out according to our standards, people will be appropriately accommodated and cared for on site,” said CSU regional group leader Alexander Dobrindt in the “Münchner Merkur” yesterday. He held talks with the local government and visited a UN refugee camp near the capital Kigali.
Heads of Government will discuss with Scholz next week
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the Prime Ministers agreed in November that the federal government would examine whether asylum procedures outside Europe were possible.
The result of the review is not yet available, but it could be discussed at the group meeting next week.