Division within the German government over the deportation of refugees
A dispute erupted within the new German government of the black-red coalition (CDU/CSU and SPD) over immigration and asylum policy, just days after it took office.
The Minister of the Chancellery, Torsten Frey from the CDU party, called for an increase in deportations at the German border, including asylum seekers, emphasizing that this clause is part of the governing coalition agreement.
Frei clarified that deportation operations must be coordinated with neighboring countries, according to what has been agreed upon, adding that European law stipulates that asylum applications must be submitted in the first country a person enters in the European Union, which makes applying in Germany impossible in many cases due to its geographical location. He noted that many people arrive in Germany without having the legal right to do so, and therefore the Ministry of the Interior, led by Alexander Dobrindt, will intensify border controls and deny entry to those without valid documents.
In contrast, Dirk Wiese, Vice President of the parliamentary group of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), confirmed that the German constitution guarantees the right to asylum, and those who arrive in the country and are entitled to asylum should be given the opportunity to assess their application. He also pointed out that crossing legal borders creates unnecessary judicial challenges, and said: "The new interior minister is well aware of this."
Dobrindt had announced before taking office that he plans to impose strict border controls, including the return of asylum seekers from the country's borders, with the first measures to begin on the same day, according to what he stated to the newspaper "Bild am Sonntag."
On its part, Der Spiegel magazine revealed that the federal police will double the number of its units at the border to reach 12 units, in addition to deploying new mobile monitoring teams. Work shifts will also be extended to 12 hours a day. The magazine mentioned that police officers currently at the border will not be withdrawn at this time. The Ministry of the Interior declined to comment on this information. Andreas Roßkopf, head of the federal police union, confirmed that there are verbal instructions to increase the number of forces at the border, and that the reserve police will be significantly reinforced. Border police stations have also been directed to reorganize schedules to ensure greater availability of security forces.