Latest news with #Asylpolitik
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
German lawmakers vote to suspend family reunions for many migrants
German lawmakers voted Friday to suspend family reunions for many migrants, part of a drive by the new conservative-led government for a tougher approach to migration. Parliament 's lower house voted 444-135 to suspend the possibility of family reunions for two years for migrants who have 'subsidiary protection,' a status that falls short of asylum. At the end of March, more than 388,000 people living in Germany had the status, which was granted to many people fleeing Syria 's civil war. New Chancellor Friedrich Merz made tougher migration policy a central plank of his campaign for Germany's election in February. Just after he took office in early May, the government stationed more police at the border and said some asylum-seekers trying to enter Europe's biggest economy would be turned away. The bill approved Friday is the first legislation on migration since Merz took office. It will suspend rules dating to 2018 that allowed up to 1,000 close relatives per month to join the migrants granted limited protection, with authorities making case-by-case decisions on humanitarian grounds rather than granting an automatic right for reunions. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told lawmakers that the change would result in 12,000 fewer people being able to come to Germany each year and 'break a business model' for smugglers. People often know they won't get full recognition as refugees, 'but they set off for Germany because it is known that, even without asylum recognition ... you can have your family follow," Dobrindt said. "That is a significant pull effect and we are removing this pull effect today.' Dobrindt said 'our country's capacity for integration simply has a limit.' Liberal opposition lawmakers decried the government's approach. Marcel Emmerich, of the Greens, described the legislation as 'an attack on the core of every society, on a truly central value — the family.' 'Anyone who wants integration must bring families together,' he said. The far-right, anti-migration Alternative for Germany described the move as a very small step in the right direction. German governments have for years faced pressure to curb migration as shelters across the country filled up. The administration of Merz's predecessor, Olaf Scholz, already had taken some measures including the introduction of checks on all Germany's borders. Asylum applications declined from 329,120 in 2023 to 229,751 last year and have continued to fall this year.
Khaleej Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Khaleej Times
Germany to make it easier to declare countries safe in curbs on asylum
The German government plans to make it easier to declare certain countries of origin safe under a push to reduce the number of asylum seekers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Wednesday. Under the plan agreed by ministers in Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government on Wednesday, approval from Germany's upper house of parliament would no longer be required in deciding whether there is persecution in a country that would justify granting asylum to people from there, Dobrindt told reporters. The upper house Bundesrat represents Germany's 16 federal states. Circumventing the Bundesrat will speed up the process. Merz won a national election in February pledging a crackdown on migration and to turn away asylum seekers at the border, but the tougher stance ran into legal obstacles this week and has drawn criticism from opposition parties. Migration is among German voters' biggest concerns and a backlash against new arrivals has contributed to a rise in the popularity of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. The cabinet also agreed on Wednesday to abolish mandatory legal counsel for asylum seekers facing expulsion. "These are essential steps that are part of a whole raft of measures to bring about the asylum transformation," said Dobrindt. A Berlin court this week ruled against the expulsion by German border police of three Somali asylum seekers. Merz said on Tuesday the verdict could restrict the migration crackdown but would not stop it.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
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.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austrian interior minister backs Germany's tougher border controls
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner on Friday expressed support for Germany's tougher border control measures during a meeting with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt in Vienna. Last week, Germany's new government ordered increased border checks with all neighbouring countries, including Austria. Dobrindt also authorized turning away asylum seekers at the border, except for vulnerable groups such as pregnant women and children. Austria welcomed the stricter controls, noting a decline in illegal migration figures across Europe, including in Austria and Germany, which Karner attributed to intensified border controls. Dobrindt stressed that these efforts align with a shared European goal to work on migration policy and further reduce illegal migration flows. Austria's Economy Minister Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer had also praised Germany's stricter migration policies, reflecting broader support within the Austrian government for the measures.
