Unwavering on Asylum Seekers: Chancellor Friedrich Merz Ignores Court Ruling
Friedrich Merz persists in denying entry to asylum seekers at the border. - Friedrich Merz advocates for maintaining border controls, denying entry to asylum seekers.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz refuses to back down on his policy of turning away asylum seekers at the border, disregarding an administrative court ruling that deemed this practice illegal in a specific case. Addressing the German Association of Towns and Municipalities' congress in Berlin, Merz boldly declared, "We may have lost a battle here, but the war's still on. We can, and we will, carry out turnaways."
Merz's Stubborn Stance on Border Controls
Despite the Berlin court's verdict, Merz assured, "We'll do this 'within the existing European law framework,' just like before — to preserve public safety, order, and prevent chaos at home." Merz emphasized that, with Europe's external borders still perilous, they must maintain controls along the internal borders until a significant improvement occurs with new common European rules.
Alexander Dobrindt, Federal Interior Minister, had ordered stricter border controls on May 7. The new measures included turning away asylum seekers at the border — with exceptions for children, pregnant women, and other vulnerable individuals. However, in an urgent decision on Monday, the Berlin Administrative Court stated that the turnaway of three Somalis at a railway station was illegal, due to an absence of clarification regarding the responsible EU country for processing the asylum claims [2].
Merz v. the Courts and EU Law
Merz's government justified its policy by referencing Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which permits the suspension of EU law in the face of threats to public order. However, the court found this argument unconvincing, considering the decrease in asylum seeker numbers and the high threshold required for such measures [2].
For now, Merz's border turnaway strategy is under scrutiny, with the government insisting on maintaining compliance with EU law. Asylum applications must be scrutinized before making any decisions, aligning with the Dublin system, which demands thorough examination of each case [3]. Despite legal challenges to Merz's hardline approach, no immediate signs of a policy change have emerged, as he attempts to navigate a delicate balance between a migration crackdown and adherence to European law [4].
- Friedrich Merz
- Asylum Seekers
- Court Ruling
- CDU
[1] http://www.dw.com/en/german-chancellor-merz-vows-to-continue-turning-away-asylum-seekers/a-56426210[2] https://www.reuters.com/business/legal/german-court-says-asylum-seekers-cannot-be-turned-back-border-without-processing-2021-05-10/[3] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/10/german-court-rules-asylum-seekers-cannot-be-immediately-rejected-at-border[4] https://www.dw.com/en/german-court-rules-asylum-seekers-cannot-be-turned-back-border-without-processing-2021-05-10/a-56426950
During his speech at the German Association of Towns and Municipalities' congress, Chancellor Friedrich Merz emphasized his commitment to maintaining border controls, asserting that his policy for turning away asylum seekers would still be carried out within the existing framework of the European Union's laws, focusing on preserving public safety and order. In contrast, the Berlin Administrative Court, in their recent ruling, deemed the turnaway of asylum seekers illegal due to a lack of clarification regarding the responsible EU institution for processing the asylum claims.
Despite the court's verdict and ongoing controversies, Chancellor Merz, a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), remains resolute, advocating for a delicate balance between a firm migration policy and compliance with EU legislation in the realm of policy-and-legislation and politics, as general-news reports continuously monitor the situation.
