Latest news with #AlternativeForGermany
Reuters
6 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
German lower house backs plan to halt refugee family reunification
BERLIN, June 27 (Reuters) - Germany's Bundestag lower house passed a bill on Friday to suspend family reunification for migrants who do not qualify for full refugee status, fulfilling a conservative election pledge to curb migration and ease pressure on integration systems. Migration was a pivotal issue in February's federal election, where the far-right nativist Alternative for Germany secured a historic second place with its anti-migration platform. Germany currently hosts about 388,000 refugees with "subsidiary protection status", a form of international protection granted to people who do not qualify as refugees but who still face a real risk of serious harm if returned to their home country. The majority of those holding this status are Syrians. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the new bill was necessary because Germany's integration capacity, especially in education, childcare and housing, had reached its limit. "Immigration must have limits, and we are reflecting that politically," he told the Bundestag during a heated debate ahead of Friday's vote. Some 444 lawmakers supporting the bill, while 135 voted against it. The upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat, which represents Germany's federal states, is expected to approve the bill in July, paving the way for it to become law. Dobrindt said suspending family reunification would help deter illegal migration by disrupting smuggling networks, which often rely on sending one family member ahead to later bring others. Berlin initially suspended family reunification for this group in 2016, amid a surge of over 1 million arrivals when then-Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the border for those fleeing war and prosecution in the Middle East and beyond. It was partially reinstated in 2018, capped at 1,000 visas per month. Tareq Alaows, refugee policy spokesperson for the pro-immigration advocacy group Pro Asyl, said the group was reviewing the bill's constitutionality and will support legal action for affected individuals if rights violations are found. Ahmad Shikh Ali fled to Germany from Aleppo two-and-a-half years ago, and his family, still stuck in Turkey, had only two cases ahead of them in the reunification queue to be processed and granted a visa to Germany before this law was introduced. "Since I learned of this decision, I can't sleep, I can't get on with my life," Shikh Ali said, breaking into tears in front of the German parliament on Thursday where he gathered with dozens of other refugees protesting the law. "My son was crawling when I left him, he is walking now," he said, holding a blurry photo of his 3-year-old son. He said returning to Syria - where an Islamist government has taken power following the fall of veteran leader Bashar al-Assad last December - was not an option as the security situation remained unstable. At the migration office in the city of Hanover where Shikh Ali lives, he was told that changing his status after finding full-time employment was not possible. "I can't go back to Syria, I can't go back to Turkey, I don't have any options, this is what suffocates me," he said.
Khaleej Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Germany's Merz joins EU migration hawks meet in Brussels
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took part in a meeting of EU immigration hawks in Brussels on Thursday, participants confirmed, in a sign of Berlin's hardening stance on migration. It marked the first time a German leader has attended the gathering, which has become a stable fixture on the sidelines of EU summits of the bloc's leaders over the past year. "We're delighted that Germany is on board for the first time," Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said ahead of the meeting he described as a "pressure group" pushing to make the European Union's migration policy "much stricter". Co-organised by Italy, Denmark and The Netherlands, the migration talks were attended by more than a dozen of the bloc's 27 leaders as well as European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. Crystallising the growing influence of the hard right within the bloc, it has served as a platform for hardliners to push the commission to pass new rules to reduce arrivals and boost deportations. Germany's conservative-led government, which took power in May, has pursued a crackdown on irregular immigration, seeking to combat the growing appeal of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Malay Mail
11-06-2025
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
French Tesla owners sue, claiming cars are now ‘extreme-right symbols' after Musk's Nazi salute
PARIS, June 11 — Around 10 French clients with leases on Teslas are suing the US carmaker, run by Elon Musk, because they consider the vehicles to be 'extreme-right' symbols, the law firm representing them said yesterday. They feel they suffered 'direct and concrete' damage from the way Teslas are now associated with 'Elon Musk's actions', the GKA law firm said. They are demanding the Paris commercial court order their lease contracts be terminated and legal costs reimbursed, it said in a statement, signed by lawyers Patrick Klugman and Ivan Terel. The lawsuit comes as Tesla sales in the European Union have almost halved since the beginning of the year, a slump attributed to Musk's political activities. Those activities include him — until last week — standing firmly with US President Donald Trump, and overseeing efforts to cut down US departments and agencies. He has also lent public support to Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, and came under criticism for making a repeated gesture with an out-thrust arm interpreted by many historians to be a Nazi salute. 'Because of Elon Musk's actions... Tesla branded vehicles have become strong political symbols and now appear to be veritable extreme-right 'totems', to the dismay of those who acquired them with the sole aim of possessing an innovative and ecological vehicle,' GKA said in a statement. The perception of the Teslas they leased 'prevents them from fully enjoying their car', it said. Most of the leases run for four years, with an option at the end to buy the vehicle. Tesla cars in Europe and elsewhere have been targeted by vandals, with some drivers reporting they have been insulted for using what is sometimes called on social media a 'swasti-car'. Several owners have taken to putting stickers on their Teslas reading 'I bought this before Elon went crazy'. 'The situation is both unexpected and impossible for French Tesla owners,' Klugman told AFP. 'Musk's political positions have interrupted enjoyment' of the vehicles, and 'we believe that Mr Musk owes these buyers the peaceful possession of the thing sold', he said. Contacted by AFP for comment, Tesla did not immediately respond. — AFP
Japan Times
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
Germany's far-right AfD harbors growing number of extremists: spy agency
Germany's biggest opposition party the Alternative for Germany is harboring a growing number of right-wing extremists, the domestic spy agency said in its annual report on Tuesday, reporting also a surge in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism. The number of extremists within the AfD, which came second in a federal election in February, rose by 77% last year to 20,000 in tandem with a growth in party membership and its shift rightward, the agency said. The agency last month classified the party at large as "extremist" on the basis of a 1,100-page experts' report enabling it to step up monitoring of the AfD, although the party has legally challenged this. Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behavior, the agency said on Tuesday. AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany last year — and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said. It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy." Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4% last year, including 6 attempted murders up from 4 in 2023 and 23 cases of arson up from 16, the agency said.
The Independent
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Germany's main opposition party harbouring 20,000 extremists, says spy agency
Germany 's main opposition party, Alternative for Germany (AfD), is facing scrutiny as the nation's domestic spy agency reveals a concerning rise in right-wing extremism within its ranks. According to the agency's annual report, the number of identified extremists within the AfD surged by 77 per cent in 2024, reaching approximately 20,000 people. This increase coincides with the party's overall growth in membership and a noted shift towards more radical positions. The agency has also reported a parallel increase in overall crime motivated by right-wing extremism. In May, the agency classified the AfD as "extremist", based on a 1,100-page report. This classification allows for increased monitoring of the party, although the AfD has launched a legal challenge against the decision. Party statements frequently included xenophobic and anti-Muslim positions, with migrants from predominantly Islamic countries often accused of cultural incompatibility and a strong inclination toward criminal behaviour, the agency said. AfD leaders frequently made statements that could be considered to attack the constitution during state election campaigns in eastern Germany in 2024 - and mostly were not reined in by the party, the agency said. It cited the leader of the AfD in Thuringia, Bjoern Hoecke, who at a campaign event in August said the election could "lead to the implosion of the cartel party system" and "finally bring about something that is a true democracy". Crime motivated by right-wing extremism in Germany jumped 47.4 per cent in 2024, including six attempted murders, up from four in 2023. There were also 23 cases of arson, up from 16, the agency said. AfD surged to an historic second place in the national elections in February, securing an unprecedented influence in the country's post-war political landscape. The party doubled their share from 2021 to win 20.8 per cent of the vote in the election, in a surge described by victor Friedrich Merz – whose conservative bloc won with just 28.5 per cent – as a 'final warning' to democratic parties. AfD leaders have been fined for using banned Nazi slogans and members expelled for suspected paramilitary involvement. Its electoral success came in a campaign dominated by concerns over immigration and marred by three suspected terror attacks, bolstering support for the hardline anti-migrant party.
