Lots of trouble at country round table on migration
Published: Monday, Nov 6th 2023, 20:00
Updated At: Tuesday, Nov 7th 2023, 00:54
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A huge row even before it really gets going: ahead of the most important federal-state summit since the coronavirus pandemic, the federal states have fallen out massively over the issue of migration. This was triggered by a new list of demands presented on Monday by the states governed by the CDU and CSU together with Green Minister President Winfried Kretschmann. The SPD states reacted angrily. The consultations were "not really refreshing", said Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD).
Beforehand, everyone had actually agreed that the federal and state governments, the government and the opposition would somehow have to get their act together to curb irregular migration - also to take the wind out of the AfD's sails. That went wrong at the start.
Surprising move by the Union states and Kretschmann
The federal states led by the CDU, CSU and Greens surprisingly came out in favor of asylum procedures outside of Europe and thus backed a corresponding proposal by North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister President Hendrik Wüst (CDU). However, the SPD states later rejected this proposal.
The idea is to carry out asylum procedures along refugee routes. Weil made it clear that the SPD-led states could only have imagined this for transit states, i.e. for countries through which migrants pass. A Rwanda model, on the other hand, was not conceivable - an allusion to British plans. The government in London wants people who have entered the UK irregularly to be detained regardless of their origin and without their asylum application being examined and deported to Rwanda as soon as possible, where they should then also apply for asylum. A return to the UK is not planned. A British high court declared the plans unlawful.
Scholz has already pointed out that asylum procedures outside of Europe would first require at least one partner country, for example in Africa. However, the rejection by the SPD states does not mean that the issue is off the table. This is because the SPD, Greens and FDP had already agreed in the coalition agreement to examine whether such a procedure is possible "in exceptional cases" in third countries outside the EU - in compliance with the Geneva Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. The Federal Ministry of the Interior said on Monday that this examination is still ongoing.
On the other hand, there was agreement among the federal states that they want more money from the federal government for the accommodation of refugees. "We states have made a very clear proposal. We are very united on the issue," said the Chairman of the Conference of Minister Presidents, Hessian Prime Minister Boris Rhein (CDU).
This year, the federal states paid around 18 billion euros and the municipalities around five billion euros for refugees. "We therefore believe that there is an imbalance that needs to be overcome. And we will now discuss this with the federal government and come to decisions," emphasized Rhein. Limiting immigration is a primary task of the federal government.
On the subject of planning approvals and accelerations, the heads of government were very much in agreement, according to Rhein, that important infrastructure projects should be implemented much more quickly.
With regard to the Deutschlandticket, the federal states committed to continuing the offer, but called for a federal signal for further joint financing. The ticket is a successful model and they want to continue it, said Rhein. "But we must now send a signal to the transport associations." Weil explained that, according to the states, unused federal and state funds could be transferred this year. This would create the basis for the ticket to continue next year. "The transport ministers will have to tell us whether and in what form this will have an impact on pricing." The current 49 euros per month is expressly the "introductory price"
The federal states also want to increase controls at German borders and introduce a payment card for asylum seekers.
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