Stübgen Critiques Federal Government's Approach to Migration Policy
Brandenburg's Interior Minister, Michael Stübgen (CDU), has taken aim at the federal government's actions in migration policy, claiming it relies on actionism for headlines rather than genuine change. Stübgen, a longtime advocate for reducing the number of asylum seekers, has called for increased funding for local authorities to support refugees, as the federal government prepares to discuss migration management and financing at a meeting with state leaders on Monday.
"Enough action needs to be taken, but I'm not optimistic about major breakthroughs," Stübgen said. He believes the federal government views a few headlines as sufficient to tackle the issue, rather than implementing substantive changes.
Exceeding Local Authorities' Capacities
Stübgen is concerned about the low lump-sum payments provided to local authorities for refugee support since 2022, which he views as almost illiterate, given the actual number of refugees they have to care for. He proposes that allocations for municipalities should be based on the actual refugee numbers, instead of hypothetical forecasts from the Chancellery.
Compulsory Border Controls and EU Registration
Stübgen is supportive of fixing border controls in place to curb unauthorized entry, as European measures to limit immigration remain ineffective. He encourages the German government to extend the strict measures in the border zone with Poland beyond December and register those crossing the border properly within the EU.
Replacing Cash Payments with Payment Cards and In-kind Benefits
At the forthcoming meeting, the federal-state discussion will include potentially replacing cash payments for asylum seekers with payment cards and in-kind benefits.
Stübgen's concerns about actionism in migration policy stem from the observation that the federal government is content with securing a few positive headlines rather than tackling the problem head-on. His call for more funding from the federal government for refugee support arises from the insufficient and almost ignorant payments to local authorities since 2022.
