Interior Minister: Radical reform of migration policy in Bremerhaven!

Interior Minister: Radical reform of migration policy in Bremerhaven!

In Bremerhaven, the federal and state interior ministers agreed on a common line on migration policy. The aim is to significantly reduce migration to Germany. This was announced during the Interior Ministers' Conference, which was chaired by Bremen Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) and in which Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CSU) also took part. Dobrindt described the need to “re-sharpen” the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) as essential in order to minimize the incentives for migration – also known as “pull factors”. According to Welt, this is intended to send a clear signal to reduce immigration in Germany.

The current asylum legislation was also discussed during the discussion. Dobrindt pointed out the planned measures, which include in particular the suspension of family reunification and a new regulation of safe countries of origin. The CEAS, which the EU has been developing since 1999, plays a central role here. It is intended to ensure EU-wide harmonization of protection and reception rules in order to offer asylum seekers international protection under equal conditions (BAMF). But what about the practical implementation?

Challenges and reforms

Reforming the asylum system has been on the EU agenda for several years. Looking back, the development of a common asylum policy began around 25 years ago with the Treaty of Amsterdam. The Dublin Regulation determines which member state is responsible for asylum procedures. So far, these have often been the countries where refugees arrive first. But the reform that has been called for since the crisis years of 2015 and 2016 is intended to make the distribution of asylum seekers fairer (bpb).

A central point of the discussion is the desired solidarity mechanism. This is intended to organize the redistribution of recognized refugees among member states in order to reduce the imbalance between the countries at the external borders and the rest of the EU. However, the fundamental rights and constitutional conditions of the planned border procedures are up for debate. The concerns about the restrictive measures are not unfounded, as they could fundamentally restrict the rights of those seeking protection.

Current security policy efforts

Another important point of discussion at the conference was security in Germany, especially in the context of the more tense situation in the Middle East. Following Israel's recent attacks on Iran, Dobrindt emphasized the need for precautions to protect Jewish citizens and institutions in Germany. These topics attracted great interest, which shows that migration is not only a question of asylum policy, but is also closely intertwined with security policy considerations.

The Interior Ministers' Conference in Bremerhaven is just another step in a long series of debates about the future of European migration. The challenges are great and the measures taken must both respect human rights and ensure the security of citizens. The coming years will show whether the desired reforms are effective and whether they can actually lead to a noticeable reduction in migration.