Strobl on the migration crisis: border closings "ultima ratio"

Thousands of refugees have already made it from Belarus to Germany.

Interior Minister Strobl estimates that a large part will stay.

The locks have to end - if necessary, the borders have to be closed.

Stuttgart - In view of the migration crisis between Belarus and the EU, the Interior Minister of Baden-Württemberg and CDU Federal Vice-President Thomas Strobl calls for better protection of the borders - up to and including their closure as a “last resort”. "We must quickly put a stop to the illegal smuggling of asylum seekers from Belarus into Germany," said Strobl of the German Press Agency in Stuttgart. Border protection must be intensified. “One possibility here is to run up the veil manhunt. We have to interrupt smugglers 'and smugglers' routes and make it impossible for smugglers and smugglers to carry out their criminal activities, ”said Strobl. "Further possibilities are increased pushbacks or - as a last resort - the temporary closure of the border crossings."

The Federal Ministry of the Interior should be asked to take suitable measures to prevent the smuggling of asylum seekers, according to the Southwest Ministry of the Interior. The federal police, as the responsible border authority, must now urgently exhaust their legal framework, Strobl demands. A temporary closure of the border crossings must be examined.

Strobl also called for prompt talks with Poland to secure the Polish external border and negotiations with the countries of origin about the cessation of direct air traffic to Belarus. "We have to show Lukashenko very clearly that his inhuman activities do not lead to the goal." Those who do not ensure safe external borders support "Lukashenko's false and misleading promises by doing nothing" - and make themselves the smuggler of the Belarusian regime, Strobl said .

For weeks, thousands of migrants and refugees have been trying to get from Belarus across the EU's external borders to Poland or the Baltic states.

The EU accuses the authoritarian Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko of targeting people from crisis regions to Minsk in order to smuggle them into the EU.

Many of the people who are now stuck in Belarus come from Iraq, some also from Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan or Iran.

A large number of migrants indicate Germany as their destination.

The number of unauthorized entries into Germany via Poland has risen sharply since the summer.

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Due to the increasing number of refugees, Baden-Württemberg is urgently looking for additional places. According to the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Migration, around 2000 refugees were accommodated in the state initial reception centers (LEA) in October. So far, 2400 have been registered in November. There are around 6300 places for refugees in the country's four LEAs, around 4500 of which are occupied.

After illegal border crossings to Lithuania, Poland and Latvia, the asylum seekers are smuggled into Germany by professional smugglers, according to the Southwest Interior Ministry. Since they were mostly not registered, the transit through Poland can be proven in only a few cases, whereby a return transfer often fails. In addition, there are high hurdles for repatriations and voluntary departures - "which is why it can be assumed that the majority of the people smuggled in, mostly from the Middle East, will remain in Germany".

According to figures from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, there were around 15,000 refugees in Belarus at the end of October, mainly from Iraq and Syria.

It is estimated that another 800 to 1000 people landed in Minsk every day.

5500 people were registered who crossed the border from Poland to Germany in October.

Strobl accused the traffic light parties of sending a fatal signal with the coalition agreement.

“The traffic light is setting all the signs on green when migrating,” he said.

“The planned change of lane, a residence permit on probation or a naturalization after three years are an open door policy, an invitation to poor or conflict-ridden countries: Get on your way if you just manage to get to Germany somehow - even illegally , you can stay. ”dpa