The chairman of the German conservative CDU party, Friedrich Merz, drew criticism on Tuesday, September 27 after denouncing a supposed “
social tourism
” of Ukrainian refugees who fled their country in the face of the Russian invasion.
Faced with the outcry, the leader of the German opposition apologized Tuesday morning for these remarks, which according to him concerned “
exclusively the lack of registration of refugees
”.
The day before, in the daily Bild, he had expressed his "
great concern that the government's decision to switch from the system of compensation for asylum seekers to the system of payment of unemployment benefit would cause considerable disruption
".
According to the chairman of the CDU, who is aiming for the chancellery in 2025, "
we are now witnessing a social tourism of these refugees to Germany, many of whom take advantage of this system
".
He notably accused Ukrainians of going back and forth between Ukraine and Germany to receive aid.
Read alsoA European file of Ukrainian refugees
"
We have a problem that is getting worse
," warned Friedrich Merz, whose party is leading the polls ahead of the Greens and Olaf Scholz's SPD.
Nearly a million refugees fleeing Ukraine after the Russian invasion began seven months ago have been registered in Germany, although "
a considerable number
" of them did not stay in the country, said on August 23 the Ministry of the Interior.
These statements have drawn criticism, particularly within the government.
“Populism on the backs of the weakest”
"
Making buzz on the backs of Ukrainian women and children who fled Putin's bombs and tanks is pathetic
," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the Bild website.
“
If people commute between Germany and Ukraine, sometimes risking their lives, that is not social tourism.
Perhaps it is simply concern for loved ones, a husband or father, or for one's own country?
“, abounded on Twitter the Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann.
Read alsoThe bitter new life of Ukrainian refugees in Russia: the story of the special envoy of
Le Figaro
“
Words about social tourism are destroying the cohesion we had so far in supporting Ukraine and welcoming refugees.
Those who say such things have zero sense of responsibility and empathy
,” lamented the chairman of the Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee, Michael Roth.
The popular daily Bild accused Friedrich Merz of "
populism on the backs of the weakest
" a few days before a regional election.