German deputies adopted on Friday a bill toughening the country’s migration policy, which further closes the era of generous welcome opened in 2015 by former Chancellor Angela Merkel.
The vote is part of a growing restrictive trend in Europe: it came in parallel with a summit of the European Union, where the leaders of the 27 raised their voice against irregular immigration and called for an acceleration of expulsions.
Berlin wants in particular to eliminate aid for asylum seekers who first entered another EU country, to facilitate expulsions for refugees who have used weapons or even to limit the carrying of these same weapons.
>> Listen to the details from 12:30 p.m. on the European summit dedicated to immigration:
A “security package”
Refugees who temporarily return to their country of origin will “generally” no longer have protection in Germany, as will those who commit anti-Semitic or homophobic crimes, according to the text.
This “Security package” should make it possible to “improve internal security and the asylum system” but also “the fight against terrorism,” said Interior Minister Nancy Faeser.
Under pressure from the left wing of her own party, the Social Democratic minister had to tone down the most controversial measure of removing aid for asylum seekers who entered another EU country.
Part of the text blocked
It will only be possible if the departure of asylum seekers to the EU country where they first arrived “is legally and effectively possible”. It is also excluded in cases where children are involved.
The conservative opposition suddenly castigated a “largely ineffective” text, through the voice of Alexander Throm (CDU).
She managed to block part of the text in the upper house of parliament, granting additional investigative powers to law enforcement, notably via facial recognition.
>> Read also: At summit in Brussels, the 27 want to toughen their tone on immigration
“Inhumane” plan denounced
The Conservatives judged that it did not go far enough. A conciliation commission will try to find a compromise on this point.
On the other side of the political spectrum, radical left MP (Die Linke) Clara Bünger denounced a plan that was “inhuman and unworthy of a state of social law”.
The burning migration issue has occupied Olaf Scholz’s coalition for months, which has already reintroduced border controls in the face of an increase in the number of migrants.
Germany encourages its neighboring countries to do the same
Like French head of state Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has distanced himself from Giorgia Meloni’s Italy’s idea of transferring migrants to reception centers in third countries, in this case the Albania in the case of Rome.
But Berlin is pushing its European partners to act against irregular immigration, while less than 20% of decisions to expel irregular migrants are followed up within the EU.
afp/hkr
