Dispute over German “security package” on migration
Published: Wednesday, Oct 16th 2024, 12:50
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A dispute has arisen during the deliberations on the German government's so-called security package on migration. The opposition Christian Democrats were outraged in the Bundestag's Committee on Internal Affairs because their own proposals on migration and security policy will not be conclusively discussed in the committee and therefore also in the plenary this Friday.
On Friday, the German parliament is due to vote on the measures proposed by the SPD, Greens and FDP ("traffic light") on asylum law, new powers for security authorities and weapons law. "The "Ampel" is using every trick in the book to prevent a vote in the Bundestag on comprehensive rejections at the borders," said Andrea Lindholz, deputy chair of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group.
Dublin cases: Asylum seekers should not receive benefits
The "traffic light" drafts stipulate that asylum seekers for whom another European country is responsible for their application for protection under the so-called Dublin rules should be excluded from state benefits if it is legally and actually possible for them to leave the country. Exceptions are to be made if children are affected.
Weapons legislation is also to be tightened, particularly with regard to the carrying of knives at public festivals. The security authorities are to be given the opportunity to compare biometric data on the internet in certain cases.
In the western German city of Solingen, three people were killed and eight others injured in a knife attack at a city festival in August. A Syrian man suspected of the crime was supposed to have been deported to Bulgaria in 2023, but this failed.
While the planned changes of the CDU/CSU do not go far enough, the Left Party considers them superfluous and wrong. "This package will not provide security for anyone," said Clara Bünger (Left Party). She fears: The changes to the law currently being discussed will lead to homelessness and destitution for the Dublin refugees concerned.
©Keystone/SDA
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