BERLIN (Reuters) – Violent attacks linked to foreign suspects in Germany, including a fatal stabbing on Wednesday when the attacker targeted preschool children, have prompted political parties to demand tougher enforcement measures. migration.
Here is what the four most popular parties are proposing before the national elections on February 23:
CDU/CSU
The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian ally, the CSU, are calling for a stricter migration policy, which would deviate from Angela Merkel’s 2015 open door policy.
The leader of the CDU, Friedrich Merz, current favorite for the chancellery, demanded on Thursday an overhaul of migration policy. In what would be a break with common EU rules, he said he would order permanent border controls from his first day in office and increase detentions of “illegal immigrants.”
The CDU’s electoral program also proposes suspending family reunification for people benefiting from subsidiary protection, outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries and resuming deportations to Syria and Afghanistan.
SPD
In its manifesto, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s center-left Social Democrats (SPD) say migration could ease the pressure of a declining workforce in an aging society.
The party rejects closing borders and pushing back refugees, saying temporary controls should be the “absolute exception.”
However, Scholz toughened his tone following the latest attack, saying he was “sick and tired” of such acts of violence and calling for swift consequences.
In its manifesto, the party supports voluntary expulsions of rejected asylum seekers, as well as the rapid and consistent expulsion of criminal asylum seekers.
He promises that family reunification for those with subsidiary protection will continue, saying it is crucial for successful integration.
The SPD says the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which is due to come into force in 2026, is a way to ensure that refugees are treated fairly, regardless of the country of application.
AfD
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), with its anti-immigration and anti-Islam platform, calls for Germany’s withdrawal from United Nations pacts on migration and refugees, reforming the Convention of Geneva on refugees to allow asylum seekers to be stopped at the border. .
It calls for the creation of “detention centers” near the border and at airports, expanding the list of safe countries of origin and reducing benefits for rejected asylum seekers to the “minimum human subsistence level.” , as well as replacing cash benefits for approved refugees. with allowances in kind.
In addition, the party wants the immediate expulsion of all those it considers serious criminals and extremists, what it calls “remigration”.
The party supports allowing the immigration of qualified professionals in areas where Germany faces shortages, but wants this immigration to be subject to strict criteria.
Green vegetables
The Greens, a traditionally pro-immigration party, support a welcoming policy towards asylum seekers and skilled migrants and demand effective integration practices as well as a reduction in bureaucracy in immigration procedures. migration.
But those who do not obtain the right of residence in Germany must leave the country promptly and convicted criminals must be repatriated after serving their sentence, according to the party program.
They also commit to a common EU migration policy, support rescue programs at sea and reject permanent checks at Germany’s national borders, saying such checks should be carried out at Germany’s external borders. the EU.