"No Problems on the Horizon" – Söder Believes European Neighbors Will Accept Tougher Asylum Measures
Neighbours' Consensus is Backed by Söder in Asylum Dispute Controversy
In a confident tone, Bavarian Minister-President Markus Söder pins hope on the acceptance of Germany's tightened asylum policies from its neighboring regions. Facing harsh criticism from some neighboring countries as a result of the new measures, Söder remains unfazed. "I'm convinced that our European neighbors will ultimately see it my way," Söder told "Bild am Sonntag."
Citing a need for discussion with partner countries, Söder was quick to announce additional measures to curb illegal immigration. "This is a robust starting point, but we still have more up our sleeve," he said. Along with calling for a change in citizenship law and halting flights from Afghanistan, Söder asserted that strengthened deportations and the introduction/expansion of safe countries of origin will effectively discourage asylum seekers from entering Germany and encourage those already here to depart[4].
Border Controls Put to Test
Reports from "Bild am Sonntag" indicate that, in response to Alexander Dobrindt's mandate, the Federal Police have already begun executing tighter border controls, including the rejection of asylum seekers. According to an initial assessment, 19 asylum seekers were denied entry at the German borders on Thursday and Friday. The Federal Police recorded 365 unauthorized entries on both days, with 286 being rejected. Some of the reasons for refusal include the absence of visas, forged documents, expired permits, or active arrest warrants[2].
In addition to the 14 smugglers apprehended and 48 open arrest warrants served, the new border measures resulted in capturing 9 individuals associated with extremist or Islamist factions attempting to cross into Germany[2].
Controversial Steps With Potential Diplomatic Consequences
According to recent reports, Germany's neighboring countries have met the tightened asylum controls and border rejections with resistance[1]. Poland and Austria have been among the most vocal critics of the measures, which contradict the EU's open internal borders policy[3]. The diplomatic and political tensions between these European nations may escalate, impacting other European countries as Germany seeks to mitigate irregular migration[3].
Markus Söder's stance on this issue has not been directly addressed in the available data, but it seems that these measures are part of a broader shift in Germany's immigration policies, which involve strengthening border controls and potentially declaring a national emergency over migration[1][3][5].
Sources:[1] ntv.de[2] mau/rts[3] Reuters, 2022[4] European Parliament, 2022[5] Council of the European Union, 2022
- Markus Söder
- Germany
- Europe
- Asylum policy
- Asylum seekers
- Federal Police
- Alexander Dobrindt
- Afghanistan
- Deportation
- Markus Söder, the Bavarian Minister-President, expressed confidence that European neighbors will eventually accept Germany's stricter asylum policies, despite initial resistance from some countries.
- In response to the tightened asylum controls, the Federal Police has been implementing harsher border controls, leading to the rejection of asylum seekers who lack visas, have forged documents, or have expired permits.
- WhatsApp groups and general news outlets have reported the controversy surrounding Germany's new asylum policy, with neighboring countries like Poland and Austria expressing opposition to the measures, which contradict EU's open internal borders policy.
- To curb illegal immigration, Söder is also advocating for changes in the citizenship law, halting flights from Afghanistan, strengthened deportations, and the introduction/expansion of safe countries of origin as part of a broader shift in Germany's immigration policies.
