Before the migration summit with Scholz
Ramelow wants to recognize asylum seekers across the board
05/05/2023, 00:01
Before the migration summit in the Chancellery, Thuringia’s Prime Minister Ramelow expresses a radical idea: In order to relieve the German asylum system, all refugees in the country should be recognized across the board. That saves bureaucracy and ends the argument about deportations, says the left-wing politician.
While the traffic light parties are still looking for a uniform course in refugee policy, Thuringia’s Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow has spoken out in favor of blanket recognition for all asylum seekers who have arrived after 2014. The left-wing politician told the editorial network Germany one condition for this step: the refugees must have lived in Germany for at least three years without any complaints. In this way, the German asylum system can be relieved, Ramelow told the RND.
“People who have been living with us for more than three years and have not attracted attention during this time should be given the prospect of staying instead of completing all asylum procedures,” demanded the left-wing politician, referring to the refugee summit in the Chancellery on May 10. “Then we could save ourselves all the bureaucracy and deportation debates. Then we wouldn’t have to recruit any more workers,” Ramelow continued.
The left-wing politician also emphasized that the federal government must help the federal states and municipalities to cover the financial burdens resulting from the influx of refugees. So far, around one million Ukrainians have come to Germany, and around 20,000 other refugees from other countries are currently arriving every month. “The federal government has to help financially. And it shouldn’t point the finger at us,” said Ramelow. Because neither the federal states nor the municipalities had decided on the freedom of movement within Europe, which would enable immigration. Saying that according to the constitution the local authorities are responsible for the accommodation and care of refugees therefore has “a mocking undertone,” explained Ramelow, adding: “The local authorities say: These are the refugees of the federal government. But the federal government does not understand how big is the pressure in the boiler.”
Brussels is negotiating asylum procedures at the EU’s external border
The federal government has so far rejected the financial requests of the federal states. In the run-up to the summit, Brandenburg’s Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke and Hamburg’s Mayor Peter Tschentscher – both from the SPD – spoke out in favor of expanding the list of safe countries of origin in order to be able to speed up asylum procedures and deportations without a chance. Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer from the CDU also called for an extended list.
According to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, negotiations are currently taking place within the EU as to whether refugees may be detained at the European external borders for almost three months for the first part of the asylum check.