Churches oppose CDU's migration policy shift and AfD ties
The Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany have criticised the CDU's plans to tighten migration policy following the attack in Aschaffenburg. They warn against cooperating with the AfD.
According to a joint statement from the Berlin office of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and the German Bishops' Conference (DBK), the tightening of migration policy, initiated by the CDU's chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, "would not have prevented any of the attacks so far."
The churches emphasise that the attacks in Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg were "committed by individuals mentally ill." They highlight "shortcomings in the exchange of information between various authorities and a glaring lack of appropriate care for the mentally ill."
The churches also voiced concerns about a possible collaboration between the CDU and AfD on migration issues. Following the collapse of the SPD, Green, and FDP government coalition, major German parties agreed to avoid votes where AfD support would be decisive. "We fear that German democracy will suffer significant harm if this political promise is broken," the churches emphasized.
Migration policy in the spotlight
Migration policy has become a key theme in the campaign ahead of the Bundestag elections, scheduled for 23 February. Discussions intensified after the stabbing attack in Aschaffenburg, where a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were killed.
The perpetrator was a 28-year-old Afghan whose asylum application was rejected, but deportation did not occur due to overloaded offices.
The CDU proposes tightening migration policy, including halting the entry of refugees at borders and instituting permanent border controls. The draft bill will be debated in the Bundestag, and the media fear it could be passed with AfD votes.
