To combat illegal migrant entry, new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has pledged to install permanent controls at all nine of the country’s land borders on his first day in office this week – DW News reported.
Germany has begun rejecting asylum seekers at its borders with other European countries, marking the first such move since the new administration tightened immigration rules.
According to Bild am Sonntag, out of 365 unauthorized admissions at all crossings on Thursday and Friday, 286 migrants and refugees were turned away, including 19 who had applied for asylum.
Around 3,000 additional federal police officers will be sent to support the measure, according to German media.
Since the new German government under Chancellor Friedrich Merz tightened border controls, 19 people who had applied for asylum have reportedly been turned away.
Why is Germany Taking a Tougher Line on Immigration?
Merz explained the move by claiming that Germany is surrounded by safe European Union countries where migrants can seek asylum after arriving in Europe.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated that, for the first time, asylum seekers will be turned away at the border under certain situations. Exemptions apply to children, pregnant women, and vulnerable adults.
The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party’s increasing prominence is exerting increasing pressure on the coalition government, which was established by the centre-right CDU/CSU alliance and the Social Democrats, to address the issue of increasing migration.
The party is currently polling in a tie with Merz’s conservatives and was earlier this month designated a “confirmed right-wing extremist” group by the country’s domestic spy agency.
Ines Schwerdtner, the Left Party co-leader, also commented Merz cabinet decision: “It is against human decency, complete nonsense.” She added, the issue is a culture war from the right, which “only pushes the societies to the right.” Schwerdtner highlighted her party will defend anyone who has to flee from his/her country and wants to come to Germany.
Marcel Emmerich, the domestic policy spokesperson for the Green Party in parliament, stated that the action was “in direct opposition to European law.”
Emmerich asserts that the federal government is pursuing isolation and unilateral action, which is resulting in border disorder, rather than increased collaboration.
In Germany, there has been a recent decrease in the number of asylum claims. During the three months of the year altogether 37,387 applications were submitted. The figure represents a 46% decrease from the same period in the previous year.