The German government is under pressure after several deadly attacks by migrants led to loud calls to stop mass immigration, secure borders and introduce deportation programs.
On Monday, German officials also announced that they would tighten all border controls to limit the flow of “irregular” migrants into the country.
The success of the nationalist party Alternative for Germany has made it clear that a large part of the German population is not at all satisfied with the development of the country or with the policy of population exchange and is demanding a clear change – and now there is also a change of rhetoric in the ruling government.
Many are skeptical that Germany’s mainstream parties, which for ideological reasons have for decades supported continued mass immigration and open borders, have suddenly changed their minds on this issue – but it is clear that Interior Minister Nancy Faeser now argues that Germans must be “protected from the acute dangers of Islamist terrorism and serious crime”.
To that end, Germany’s border controls with all nine neighboring countries are being tightened – temporarily.
Mass murder at diversity festival
The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been heavily criticized for failing to prevent terrorist attacks and murders by foreign Islamist suspects. At the end of August, for example, three people were killed in a knife attack during a “diversity festival” in Solingen. The perpetrator was from Syria and was supposed to have been deported – but for unknown reasons managed to evade the police.
Shortly thereafter, the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party made historic gains in Saxony and Thuringia, and there is now widespread concern among Germany’s mainstream parties that the party could become a serious force in national politics.
The increased border controls, seen by many as an attempt to “win back” public trust, will go into effect on September 16. Controls have already been imposed on Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland – but will now be extended to France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.
More people to be deported
The German government has indicated that there may be an increase in the number of individuals who are deported for criminal offenses. They have also proposed that there be more rigorous screening for those seeking asylum, in order to ensure that only those who truly require it are granted entry.
According to Faeser, “everything is being done to better protect the people in our country”, and she argues that “until we achieve strong protection of the EU’s external borders with the new Common European Asylum System, we must strengthen controls at our national borders”.
However, both AfD and the bourgeois opposition parties have expressed reservations, suggesting that the Social Democrats and their partners may not be the most reliable parties on this issue. They view this as a last-ditch effort to win back voters.
It is important to acknowledge that Germany has been one of Europe’s most impacted countries by mass immigration in recent decades. Neither the Social Democrats nor the center-right parties have made significant efforts to halt the influx of migrants. Instead, they have consistently promoted continued generous migration policies, while anti-immigration parties have often been opposed, demonized, and subjected to state repression.
