Unfazed by the Hold-Up in Migration Law Alterations
In an informal tone, Saxony-Anhalt's Governor, Reiner Haseloff from the CDU, doesn't mince words about the delay in implementing migration law adjustments. Labeling uncontrolled migration as one of Germany's major issues, Haseloff expresses disillusionment, particularly as overwhelmed federal states and local authorities are already grappling with the migration scale. Haseloff voices concern that the delay could further undermine people's confidence in politicians' capacity to act effectively.
As per SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich's announcement, the legislative package, involving citizenship law reform and the Return Improvement Act, is slated for enforcement in April 2024.
To alleviate frequent last-minute deportation failures, the SPD seeks simplified procedures, a prolonged maximum detention period of 28 days before deportation, and extended authority for representatives of the authorities to enter shared accommodation areas apart from the deportees' rooms.
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- Haseloff, the CDU politician serving as Saxony-Anhalt's Governor, voiced his displeasure at the delay, highlighting that uncontrolled migration is a significant concern in Germany.
- With battered federal states and local authorities striving to cope with migration, Haseloff lamented the apparent incomprehensibility of the delay, fearing it could exacerbate people's loss of trust in politicians.
- Mützenich, the SPD parliamentary group leader, predicted that the legislative package, comprising the citizenship law reform and the Return Improvement Act, would come into force in April 2024.
- To save deportations from intervening at the eleventh hour, the SPD pursues procedural simplification, prolonging the maximum pre-deportation detention duration to 28 days, and permitting representatives of authorities to enter shared accommodation areas other than the deportees' rooms.
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The delayed migration law tightening in Germany engendered controversy and protests. Here are the specifics:
- Tightened Border Controls: The proposed law aims to ramp up border patrols, turning away a substantial number of migrants. Measures incorporate perpetual border checks and refusing asylum to migrants who have traversed another EU country.
- Family Reunification: The proposal seeks to end family reunification for migrants with subsidiary protection, meaning that family members of migrants already in Germany not eligible for full refugee status would not be granted entry.
- Enhanced Deportation Powers: The law would permit greater deportation powers to federal police, which is part of Friedrich Merz's initiative to streamline deportations.
- Legally Binding: Unlike the previous parliament-approved bill, this amendment would have legal force and come into effect if the CDU secures adequate votes and successfully gets the bill passed in the parliament's upper chamber.
Haseloff's Specific Criticisms Abstain
Haseloff, the Governor of Saxony-Anhalt, has not directly criticized the law's specific provisions. However, his responses to the Magdeburg Christmas market car incident reflect concerns regarding security and information-sharing between authorities. Haseloff's focus remained primarily on the incident response and subsequent investigation rather than broader migration policy.
SPD's Proposed Changes in the Return Improvement Act
The SPD has proposed modifications to the Return Improvement Act to improve deportation processes, albeit not offering specific details about these amendments in the provided sources. Generally, the SPD opposes the CDU's proposals for permanent border controls and asylum refusals on a blanket basis. Instead, the SPD advocates for a more nuanced approach to asylum assessments, emphasizing the importance of individual examination and avoiding policies that may result in systematic internal border controls or refoulement.
Catholic and Evangelical Church Criticisms
Both the German Catholic and Evangelical Churches have leveled criticism at the draft law, arguing that it would not have prevented recent attacks and pointing to a deficit in information exchange between authorities and an insufficient provision of psychological care for mentally ill individuals. They assert that the debate risks stigmatizing all migrants living in Germany and fostering prejudice, without contributing to solving the underlying issues.
