Change in asylum policy could potentially be initiated by this expert's comments.

Lanz Talks Migration: Expert Thym - "Just the Beginning for Asylum Policy Change"

EU Proposes Boost in Acceptance of Asylum Seekers Within Its Borders

Markus Lanz prepares to dive into migration policy with his guests. However, with SPD Minister President Rehlinger on the show, another topic grabs the spotlight.

The SPD just managed to recover from a disappointing election result when some party politicians released a "manifesto" on Tuesday. Among other things, former faction leader Rolf Mützenich and foreign policy expert Ralf Stegner call for a shift in foreign and security policy and talks with Russia instead of arming the Bundeswehr. They also label the NATO's five-percent goal "ridiculous." This comes just weeks before the NATO summit and the SPD party congress, where the party aims to rejuvenate itself. SPD faction leader Matthias Miersch calls the "manifesto" a "contribution to the discussion," while SPD’s interior policy spokesman Alexander Fiedler uses stronger words on ntv, stating he's "surprised, troubled, and annoyed."

Politics, Controversy over Russia Relations

On Wednesday evening, Markus Lanz will have Saarland Minister President Anke Rehlinger of the SPD as a guest. She isn't too fond of the SPD left's stance, but remains composed. The discussion has been brewing within her party for some time, she says. She wasn't surprised by Mützenich's and Stegner's positions. "Of course, this is an exciting moment before the party congress, but it's not illegitimate to bring certain opinions into the public. Whether they'll find broad support or not, we'll soon see," she says. She advocates for Germany enhancing its defenses and standing firm against Russia. "Teamwork with Putin's Russia is not the way to go right now because President Putin is moving past what even feels legitimate," says the SPD politician. She adds, "For cooperation, you need two, and I can't see Putin being open to cooperation." The SPD's policy is clear, says Rehlinger. "We'll stand our ground on this and, above all, address these questions with practicality going forward."

Rehlinger Proposes Solutions for Border Regions

"It wouldn't surprise me if a similar dispute breaks out in migration policy," says migration law expert Daniel Thym on Markus Lanz. The University of Konstanz professor heads the research center for foreign and asylum law there.

Initially in the show, there isn't any direct criticism from Rehlinger regarding Interior Minister Dobrindt and his policies. The CSU politician immediately tightened border controls upon taking office, which, according to Rehlinger, primarily results in longer traffic jams at the border with Luxembourg. "My suggestion is to institute a joint patrol in a border corridor. Then I wouldn't experience traffic jams at specific points, and it could even increase the detection risk because you wouldn't know when or whom you'd encounter. I believe there are smarter models than having numerous federal police officers securing non-existent border barriers." The federal government's current border strategy isn't future-proof, especially when implementing the European border system, which envisions stricter controls at the EU's external borders. "There must be a solution to get out of this. The border regions thrive on permeability, not on rebuilding borders, which we had hoped to have left behind."

Thym on Migration Policy Changes

"I wouldn't be surprised if migration policy becomes the next battleground," says Thym. He believes that border rejections are merely a first step, "temporarily taken." The federal government needs to take additional actions, Thym suggests. "What we're experiencing now can only be the starting shot for change in asylum policy," he says.

Thym assumes the border controls are currently not effective. However, he suggests the exception clause in the European treaties as a legal hope for the German government. "So far, no reasonable justification has been prepared. That will now be delivered. And that is the legal hope that Dobrindt and the government can have: That the courts will then not be so clear in their ruling if a suitable justification for an emergency is submitted," Thym says. If a suitable justification for a crisis were presented, Thym sees a chance of 20 to 40 percent that the courts could accept the German approach at the borders, at least for a while. "The justification wouldn't be asylum application numbers, which have been dropping for some time. The justification would be the challenges in the medium and long-term integration – in the job market, the education system, the housing market – and those are immense."

Ultimately, Thym supports the fight against illegal migration and the means the federal government uses for this. Thym demands, "We must accept that we, as an immigration country, regulate migration and that it's not illegitimate to have rules and enforce them."

Sources:

Germany: Algeria Proposed as Safe Country of Origin
Syrian Asylum Claims—An Update
German Court Rules Country's Pushback Policy Unlawful
EU Commission Proposes Automatic Redistribution of Asylum Seekers
Critics Slam EU Commission's Proposal to Redistribute Asylum Seekers

Migration Asylum policy Markus Lanz Anke Rehlinger SPD

Migration policy may likely be the next point of contention, as Daniel Thym, a migration law expert, predicts changes in asylum policy could be on the horizon, following a potential dispute over deterrent border measures.
In discussion with Markus Lanz, Anke Rehlinger, the Saarland Minister President of the SPD, advocates for policy solutions in border regions such as joint patrols in a corridor, aiming to reduce traffic congestion and enhance detection capabilities without increasing border barriers.
Amidst ongoing debates on foreign and security policy, policy-and-legislation related to war-and-conflicts, and the implications of politics found in general-news continually shape Germany's migration and asylum policies.