Limiting irregular migration
Scholz asks Merz for approval in a letter
October 24, 2023, 9:40 p.m
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The CDU leader reminds the Chancellor several times of a pending answer as to how the Union can help unite in migration policy. Now Scholz is writing a letter to Merz in which he primarily praises his own projects. The Union should agree here.
In the fight against irregular migration, Chancellor Olaf Scholz sent a letter to Union faction leader Friedrich Merz asking for his consent. “It is important to me that the federal government, the states and the opposition come to agreements together in order to noticeably reduce irregular migration to Germany,” the SPD politician wrote to the CDU leader. The two-page letter, dated Monday, is available to ntv. “The citizens of our country rightly expect that the number of those who come to us with no prospect of a right to stay will fall quickly and significantly,” Scholz continued. In his letter, the Chancellor pointed out that the Federal Cabinet would approve a draft legislative package for faster returns on Wednesday.
“The project was previously discussed intensively with the states in order to incorporate as many practical tips as possible,” explained Scholz. “Here, too, I would be pleased if the draft law received the approval not only of the CDU-led state governments, but also of your parliamentary group, and if we could complete the legislative process together this year.”
The Chancellor pointed out to the CDU leader that many of these measures were also included in the proposals that the Union faction had formulated in a paper dated October 13th. “I am therefore confident that the corresponding legal projects in the German Bundestag will also be supported by your parliamentary group,” Scholz continued.
Thanks for your willingness to cooperate
The Chancellor emphasized that it was “very important” for him that the federal and state governments come to “concrete agreements” on migration policy at the upcoming top meeting on November 6th. The joint paper by the country heads offers “a good starting point for this”.
Many of the measures agreed by the states “can also be found in your group’s paper, such as the use of cash cards instead of cash payments, increased benefits in kind for asylum seekers or community services,” Scholz wrote to Merz. He himself “explicitly supports these proposals”. In the letter, the Chancellor thanked the CDU leader for his “willingness to work constructively with the federal government on the issue of irregular migration.”
In recent weeks, Merz has repeatedly called on the Chancellor to make concrete proposals for a joint approach with the Union on migration policy. The CDU leader was referring to the Chancellor’s offer in September to forge a “Germany Pact” together with the Union to modernize the country. Since then, Merz has repeatedly complained that the Chancellor is not following up on his offer to the opposition.