Merz backs Germany's new migration policy amid EU criticism
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz defended his government's new migration policy on Saturday, saying it remains in line with Germany's responsibilities to its European neighbours.
"Please don't let anyone tell you that this is now, so to speak, against our European neighbours," Merz said at a state party conference of his Christian Democrats (CDU) in the south-western city of Stuttgart.
"I have spoken to everyone, and they all know what we mean: We want to solve this problem together, but we cannot accept that a large part of the unresolved problem ends up in the Federal Republic of Germany," the new chancellor said.
The CDU's coalition agreement with its sister party the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) contained the line: "In consultation with our European neighbours, we will also reject asylum seekers at our common borders."
Shortly after taking office, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt of the conservative CSU announced that Germany was tightening controls at its borders, allowing border officials to turn asylum seekers away.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk sharply criticized the policy during Merz's inaugural visit to Poland. Criticism also came from Switzerland.
Merz stressed that the number of asylum seekers entering Germany had already gone down after a week.
He said the government would ensure that irregular migration is resolved in such a way that cities and municipalities have room to breathe again, and that Germany can once again be an open, tolerant, foreigner-friendly country.
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