Merkel challenges new Afghan migration policy amid tragedy
Following another tragedy in Germany, opposition leader Friedrich Merz has called for a tightening of migration policy, stating that EU asylum regulations do not work.
A month before the parliamentary elections in Germany, a heated debate over migration policy has erupted.
The catalyst is another fatal stabbing attack. On Wednesday in Aschaffenburg, a two-year-old boy and a man were killed, and two other people were seriously injured. The perpetrator is a 28-year-old Afghan who should have already left the country.
Tighten asylum law
In response, opposition leader Friedrich Merz has called for a far-reaching tightening of entry and residency regulations in Germany and presented a five-point plan in this regard.
Next week, he intends to present migration resolution drafts in the Bundestag. He emphasised, "We will introduce them, regardless of who agrees with them," implying acceptance of support from the right-wing populist AfD.
The Social Democratic SPD and the Greens now doubt whether Merz's assurances of no cooperation with the AfD are credible.
According to information from CDU/CSU circles obtained by the dpa agency, two proposals are being prepared: one concerning the general stance on migration policy and another on Merz's five-point plan presented on Thursday.
Merz told the newspaper "Bild": "There will be no cooperation with the AfD. Everyone can count on that." He added that he couldn't imagine the SPD, the Greens, and the FDP not taking action to improve the security situation. "Central parties must take responsibility. This is the best way to fight political extremism on the right and left," he asserted.
Detain and deport
Merz proposed closing Germany's borders to all individuals who are not entitled to enter the country. This would also apply to those entitled to asylum protection. He suggested that the federal police should have the authority to apply for arrest warrants so that detained individuals and those ordered to leave the country could be arrested and deported promptly.
Merz said that EU asylum regulations clearly do not function effectively. Germany must therefore exercise the right to prioritise national law.
In the autumn, the second chamber of the German parliament, the Bundesrat, blocked part of the so-called security package. This included, for example, increased capabilities for security agencies. The CDU/CSU believes these plans are insufficient and demands improvements.
Merz commented, "We could have conducted a four-month mediation process in the Bundesrat and Bundestag. " He added, "The proposal should have been submitted by the federal government long ago. "
At the same time, the CDU/CSU dismisses accusations from the ruling SPD and the Greens that Friedrich Merz, with his approach to migration policy, is dismantling the "cordon sanitaire" around the right-wing populist AfD.
Merz stated on Saturday that it is not the AfD that decides which resolution projects are submitted to the Bundestag and which are not. He stressed that decisions are needed now because, as he said, in security matters, a point has been reached where tactical games must end.
"Now decisions will be made with a majority that corresponds to the majority of the German population," he declared. He believes that border controls and repulsion at the borders are supported by 95 per cent of the German population.
