Leading CDU politicians are pushing for asylum procedures to be relocated to third countries, thereby increasing the pressure on Federal Interior Minister Faeser. Illegal refugees should be deported to Rwanda or other African countries.
Germany continues to suffer from a large influx of refugees, which is pushing many communities to their limits, and some even far beyond them.
Despite all solidarity with people in need of help, the federal government’s asylum and migration policy is being rejected by more and more citizens. They are calling for a completely new course.
The CDU is now bringing a – possibly – central building block for the turnaround in asylum policy into play.
More and more leading CDU politicians are calling for migrants who came to Germany irregularly – i.e. without a residence permit – to be deported to a country outside Europe. This increases the pressure on Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) to act.
Great Britain is a pioneer in this model: The government in London wants people who entered the country irregularly to be detained regardless of their origin and without examining their asylum application and promptly deported to Rwanda, where they can then apply for asylum. There are no plans to return to Great Britain.
The British have a corresponding agreement with Rwanda and are providing financial compensation in the hundreds of millions.
This approach could, indeed should, be a model for Germany, explained the Union’s domestic policy spokesman in the Bundestag, Alexander Throm (CDU), to FOCUS online. “In future, everyone who applies for asylum in Europe should be brought to a safe state outside Europe, go through the asylum procedure there and, if necessary, receive protection in that state.”
This approach is intended to end deaths in the Mediterranean and the Sahara, said Throm. Because then it no longer makes sense to embark on this dangerous path and pay a lot of money to smugglers. “This will result in a drastic decline in the number of arrivals in Europe and Germany. We are finally getting back control over migration in the EU,” Throm continued.
With the model it will be possible to “bring those who are really in need of protection, including women and children, to Europe by means of a contingent that is determined annually based on our ability to integrate.” Then, as is the case today, the law of the strongest will no longer apply: “Whoever is young and is strong enough for the journey, he can actually freely choose his destination country.”
In response to critics’ objections that the “Rwanda model” was inhumane, Throm said that the procedure would make European refugee policy truly worthy of being called “humanitarian”.
“Today, only those who risk their lives or those whose families in Africa go into debt to pay criminal smugglers feel the benefits of European humanity. But then with all the rights and social benefits of our welfare state.” However, there is “hardly any mention” of the dead or the women and children left behind.
Throm: “All self-proclaimed refugee organizations or church representatives who still reject this model today should also think about this.” It was “developed by leading migration researchers” and is now being pushed by the CDU, CSU and EVP (European People’s Party, the editorial team). “We’re serious.”
Alexander Throm was recently in Rwanda together with his CDU colleagues Jens Spahn and Günter Krings to get an idea of the situation in the East African country. The trio also met with President Paul Kagame.
Throm to FOCUS online: “I learned first-hand how professionally and determinedly this project is being pursued there. In principle, Rwanda would also be willing to cooperate with Germany on this issue.”
But it is also clear: “We must not limit the discussion to Rwanda. Europe would rather need two or three states for this cooperation.”
CDU executive board member Jens Spahn was also optimistic after his visit to Rwanda and described asylum procedures in third countries outside the EU as the “only humanitarian solution” in view of the large refugee movements. “If you want to stop dying in the Mediterranean, you have to send a central message to the world: the risk isn’t worth it, and it’s not worth paying smugglers dearly either,” Spahn told “Stern”.
So far, the federal government has been hesitant or even negative about the “Rwanda model”. The SPD, Greens and FDP had already agreed in the coalition agreement to examine whether such a procedure was possible “in exceptional cases” in third countries outside the EU – while respecting the Geneva Refugee Convention and the European Convention on Human Rights. But so far nothing has happened in this direction.
“Nancy Faeser and her traffic light coalition represent a complete blockade of the ‘Rwanda model’,” criticizes CDU interior expert Throm. “Faeser has negotiated into EU law, against the resistance of other states, that only third countries with which the asylum seeker has a close connection are considered for the asylum procedure.” This so-called connecting element must be removed from EU law,” demands Throm.
“The recent letter from 15 EU heads of government against this mandatory link shows that a majority of EU states are no longer prepared to accept Germany’s blockade in migration policy. Because the German traffic light government is the wrong-way driver in European migration policy. We as the Union will change that when we are allowed to govern again.”
Throm describes recent statements by Nancy Faeser on the refugee agreement between Italy and Albania as not very effective. “I’m looking forward to seeing what Italy does together with Albania,” the SPD politician told “Stern” and described the deal as an “interesting model.” Italy wants to operate two refugee camps on Albanian soil. The aim is to stop migration to contain the Mediterranean to Italy and thus to the EU.
Alexander Throm: “Albania has nothing to do with the third country solution because it is Italian asylum procedures on Albanian soil. Italy remains responsible for this.” Faeser is once again shirking responsibility “and throwing sand in people’s eyes.”