BERLIN (Reuters) – Violent attacks linked to foreign suspects in Germany, including a fatal stabbing attack on preschool children on Wednesday, have prompted political parties to call for tougher measures on migration.
Here's what the four top polling parties are proposing ahead of the February 23 national election:
CDU/CSU
The conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) and their Bavarian ally the CSU are pushing for a tougher stance on migration that would depart from Angela Merkel's 2015 open door policy.
CDU leader Friedrich Merz, the current favorite for chancellor, called for an overhaul of migration policy on Thursday. In what would be a departure from common EU rules, he said he would order permanent border controls on the day of his chancellorship and increase detention of “illegal immigrants”.
The CDU electoral program also proposes the suspension of family reunification for persons with supplementary protection, the outsourcing of asylum processes to countries outside the EU and the resumption of deportations to Syria and Afghanistan.
SPD
Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) say in their manifesto that migration could ease pressure from a dwindling workforce in an aging society.
The party rejects closing borders and pushing back incoming refugees, saying temporary checks should be the “absolute exception”.
But Scholz toughened his tone after the latest attack, saying he was “sick and tired” of such acts of violence and calling for swift consequences.
In its program statement, the party supports the voluntary deportation of rejected asylum seekers and the swift and consistent deportation of criminal asylum seekers.
He promises that family reunification for those with supplementary protection will continue and says it is key to successful integration.
The SPD says the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), 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-immigrant and anti-Islam platform, is calling for Germany to withdraw from the UN Migration and Refugee Pact, which reforms the Geneva Convention on Refugees to allow asylum seekers to be stopped at borders. .
It calls for the establishment of “detention centers” near borders and at airports, an expansion of the list of safe countries of origin and a reduction of benefits for rejected asylum seekers to a “human living wage” as well as the replacement of cash benefits for approved refugees. with in-kind contributions.
In addition, the party wants the immediate deportation of all it considers serious criminals and extremists, which it calls “remigration”.
The party supports allowing the immigration of skilled professionals in fields where Germany faces a shortage, but wants this to be subject to strict criteria.
Vegetables
The Green Party, traditionally a pro-migration party, supports a welcoming policy towards asylum seekers and qualified migrants and calls for effective integration practices and a reduction in bureaucracy in migration procedures.
However, those who do not obtain the right to remain in Germany must leave the country in a short period of time, and convicted criminals must be repatriated after serving their sentence, according to the party's program.
They are also committed to the EU's common migration policy, support sea rescue programs and reject permanent checks at Germany's national borders, saying such checks should be carried out at the EU's external borders.
