When it comes to asylum policy, the federal and state governments share a common goal: to gain more control and better integrate refugees. Also so that critical citizens do not run into the arms of populists.
The heads of government of the federal states invited Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to their meeting in Berlin. They want to talk to him about what will happen next with migration and asylum policy. The most important questions and answers:
Why are the federal and state governments talking about migration again?
The topic is socially explosive – especially where there is a lack of daycare places and affordable housing. The accommodation of larger numbers of asylum seekers in communities with few residents is also causing tension in some places. Pollsters have found that the willingness to take in refugees has recently fallen significantly.
Is it all about money?
Not only. At their meeting in November, Scholz and the prime ministers agreed that the federal government would increase its payments to the states. With a per capita flat rate of 7,500 euros per year for everyone applying for asylum in Germany for the first time, there is now a system that provides for automatic adjustment to the number of asylum seekers. This was important to states and municipalities.
What else is coming up?
The federal and state governments have agreed to speed up asylum procedures and asylum claims procedures – so that people without the right to stay can leave Germany more quickly. This should also free up capacity so that those who are allowed to stay receive more support – for example through a language course or when looking for a job.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), who reports to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), is responsible for the asylum procedures. The procedure duration there is currently an average of 7.2 months. According to the Federal Office, the procedures in which asylum seekers legally defend themselves against a Bamf decision lasted an average of 20.7 months in the first instance alone last year. The states are called upon here because these courts are their area of responsibility.
The issue of payment cards for asylum seekers has now been resolved. Here the traffic light coalition has managed to bring about a federal regulation requested by the states. The Greens were initially against it. A decision on compulsory work for asylum seekers, as demanded by some politicians, is unlikely.
What about limiting immigration?
This is mainly presented by the Union, which has already put figures into the room on several occasions. Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU), for example, recently mentioned “50,000 or 60,000 refugees per year”.
When it comes to border controls, the federal government has delivered, albeit too late in the opinion of some CDU politicians. In mid-October, Faeser ordered stationary controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland and have since extended them several times. What is certain is that the additional border controls have contributed to fewer people trying to enter Germany without permission.
Only in exceptional cases is someone turned back at the border. But for the smugglers, who have to fear prosecution, the controls increase the risk of being discovered. However, it is clear to most politicians that smugglers can look for new routes and that European solutions will have a long-term impact.
How many refugees are there actually?
According to Bamf, 329,120 people applied for asylum for the first time in Germany in 2023 – most of them came from Syria, Turkey and Afghanistan. That was around 50 percent more initial applications than in 2022. As a result of the Russian war of aggression that began two years ago, there are currently around 1.14 million refugees from Ukraine living in this country who do not have to apply for asylum. In January the number of new applications fell compared to the same month last year. With 26,376 initial applications, it was 9.3 percent below the value in January 2023, but 14.6 percent above that in December 2023.
Is progress being made at EU level?
Yes. But it will probably be years before the reforms agreed in December are implemented. For example, centers must be set up at the external borders of the European Union in which those seeking protection from countries with a low recognition rate can then go through their asylum procedures. The EU Commission’s homework list also includes discussions with the Turkish government about how the agreement between the EU and Turkey, which has largely become meaningless, can be reactivated.
Turkey and the EU signed a refugee pact in 2016 in which Ankara promised to take action against irregular migration. Part of the agreement was, among other things, that the EU could send back refugees and migrants who came to the Greek islands via Turkey without a visa. In return, there was support in caring for refugees in Turkey. Another new problem has arisen: more and more Turkish citizens are applying for asylum in Germany.
What else do countries want?
The federal government has promised to examine whether asylum procedures could be carried out not in Germany, but in a country outside the EU that would be willing to do so. There should be results on this in the summer. No decision is expected now. The federal government is closely monitoring how the corresponding projects in Great Britain and Italy are progressing.
What about the deportations?
Faeser refers to the so-called Return Improvement Act. It contains a number of measures to make the execution of deportations more effective and to better enforce the obligation to leave the country for people without the right to remain. This gives authorities more opportunities to locate people who have to leave the country, to clarify their identity using documents and to prevent them from going into hiding. The maximum duration of detention on departure will be extended from the current ten days to 28 days.
In addition, officials in shared accommodation should also be allowed to enter rooms other than the room of the person being deported. Since the law only came into force at the end of February, it is not yet possible to say what effect the changes will have in practice. Although Faeser and the Commissioner for Migration Agreements, Joachim Stamp (FDP), are trying to reach agreements with countries of origin, some states are not willing to take back citizens who are obliged to leave the country.