Germany tightens borders as immigration policy shifts ahead of election
Germany is set to introduce permanent border controls and will send back to other countries all foreigners who illegally cross the Oder River. Some of them will be placed in detention centres. With the support of the far-right AfD, a plan for drastically tightening immigration policy has just been passed in our neighbouring country.
"We simply owe it to the people in our country, (...) the victims of acts of violence in recent months. We really need to make every effort to limit illegal migration," announced Friedrich Merz, whose party, the Union, is leading in the polls a month before the elections. On Wednesday, a five-point plan for radically tightening migration policy was passed in parliament with 75 votes from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Merz announced that if he becomes chancellor, he will immediately mandate "rejecting all attempts for illegal entry without exception," including those seeking asylum. Foreigners who must leave Germany will be held in special centres. The adopted resolution does not change the law but is an announcement of it. "The movement against the left-green mainstream has now reached Germany," commented triumphant AfD politicians, including AfD parliamentary group secretary Bernd Baumann.
Migration has become a leading electoral issue in Germany after tragic knife attacks in Aschaffenburg, Mannheim, and Solingen, where the suspects of the crimes are immigrants. The events, especially from 22 January 2025, in Bavarian Aschaffenburg, shocked Germany. A 28-year-old Afghan immigrant, known for aggressive behaviour and already obligated to leave the country, attacked a group of preschoolers. A two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man who defended the children were killed.
Trump effect?
- German politicians are determined not to let the far-right Alternative for Germany grow in strength in the upcoming Bundestag. They are proposing discussion points on tightening policies, hoping to weaken the anti-immigrant appeal of the AfD - commented Paweł Łapiński from the Jagiellonian Club, German policy publicist and analyst, in an interview with Wirtualna Polska.
- The entire German constitutional foundation is built on preventing the far-right from reaching power. The problem is that during the years of glory, the two main coalition parties SPD and CDU had 70-80 per cent of seats in the Bundestag. In recent polls, it's uncertain if they will even reach 50 per cent. Meanwhile, the Alternative for Germany has become the second political force - added Łapiński.
Experts believe that the shift in German policy cannot be solely attributed to events in the USA - the effect of Donald Trump's victory. As pointed out, it is a trend similar to the temporary anti-Ukrainian statements made by Rafał Trzaskowski, who by proposing to limit benefits could appeal to moderate supporters of the Confederation.
Last year, slightly over 1,500 foreigners (mainly from Germany) were transferred to Poland - according to new data from the Border Guard. This number refers to the implementation of agreements on readmission, the Dublin III agreement, and so-called simplified procedures.
Upcoming elections in Germany. Political shift
Germany will elect a new parliament on 23 February 2025, following the collapse of Olaf Scholz's three-party coalition. Polls show that the mainstream centre-right Union led by Merz is supported by about 30 per cent, while the Alternative for Germany can count on about 20 per cent of the votes. Meanwhile, the centre-left Social Democrats of Scholz and other coalition partners (the Greens) are lagging in the ratings.
Merz stated that Germany has been conducting "flawed asylum and immigration policies" for a decade since Angela Merkel allowed a large number of migrants into the country. He declared he would present proposals for border control to parliament, regardless of whose support he receives. This meant he would accept support from the AfD.
Scholz argued that calls for permanent border control and turning back significantly more people are against both German and EU law. - This is the response of populists - said Scholz.
Merz was accused of breaking the promise not to cooperate directly or indirectly with the AfD, which has long been urging other parties to abandon the "blockade" against it.
German officials indicate that migration policy has already undergone many changes. Temporary controls have been introduced at all of Germany's borders, and procedures have been tightened to facilitate deportations. Last year, 229,700 people applied for asylum in Germany, a decrease of 30 percent from the previous year. During 2024, 18,300 deportations were carried out, compared to 16,000 for all of 2023.
