Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser at the federal-state summit in the Federal Chancellery on refugee costs. © Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
New dispute in refugee policy: The CDU is pushing for the introduction of stationary border controls on the eastern and southeastern borders. But Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser sees it differently.
Berlin/Potsdam/Dresden - Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) currently rejects stationary controls at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic to curb illegal migration. This emerges from a letter from the Federal Ministry of the Interior to the two CDU interior ministers of Brandenburg and Saxony. The Free State of Bavaria was willing to compromise, at least with regard to the Czech Republic.
Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster and his Brandenburg counterpart Michael Stübgen (CDU) had demanded stationary controls at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic at the beginning of May. The letter signed by Faeser last week said that a temporary reintroduction of internal border controls would pose a serious threat to public order or internal security. Such a measure always has a "last resort character".
Stübgen: No understanding for Faeser's decision
Brandenburg Minister Stübgen showed "no understanding" for Faeser's decision on the Polish border. Day after day, the Federal Police apprehend dozens of illegal immigrants. "Many of them are deliberately smuggled by the Russian regime via the Belarus and Poland route in order to destabilize our country," he said, according to a statement. "The last word on this matter has not yet been spoken."
At the german-Polish border, the numbers of people who entered the country illegally fluctuated, they have been higher than those on the border with Austria since the end of February, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior. At the german-Czech border, unauthorized entries have fallen sharply since a peak in September 2022. A temporary reintroduction of internal border controls at the borders with Poland and the Czech Republic is currently not being considered. Such a measure is one of the very last possible reactions.
Calls for controls at Poland's border
Saxony's Interior Minister Schuster said on Tuesday that he could go along with Faeser with a view to the Czech Republic. Unauthorized entries at this border are currently not as high as from Poland and Austria. "The situation is completely different on the german-Polish border. Here, unlike the Federal Minister of the Interior, we see the migration focus that has been going on throughout Germany for months," said Schuster. The number of arrivals is significantly higher than at the borders with the Czech Republic, Austria or Switzerland.
In Brandenburg's CDU, Faeser's "no" is causing fierce resentment. CDU parliamentary group leader Jan Redmann said in Potsdam that the assessment of the situation made him perplexed and angry. Faeser fails to recognize that migration on the border between Brandenburg and Poland has gained momentum.
Sharp opposition from the Union
The deputy head of the German police union, Heiko Teggatz, also considers internal border controls to be urgently needed. He said on Tuesday with a view to the current possibilities of the federal police: "We are a better transport company, but not an actual border police." The police accompany refugees to the initial reception centres.
0
Also Read
Russian missile hits NATO state: Poland scoffs at "special" Russian missile
READ
Special weapon of the Ukrainians teaches Russian attack helicopters fear
READ
"Crushed like beetles": After criticism of Putin - deputy minister from Russia dies suddenly
READ
Russia eliminates partisans in Belgorod – Kremlin sees "cause for deep concern"
READ
Shutting down a swarm of drones at the push of a button: US presents new superweapon
READ
Fancy a voyage of discovery?
My Area
In the case of the Union in the federal government, Faeser's attitude also met with sharp opposition. Union parliamentary group deputy Andrea Lindholz accused the traffic light coalition of continuing to abandon states and municipalities even after the recent summit on refugee policy. "In the ongoing migration crisis, the acceptance of uncontrolled asylum immigration is no longer acceptable," said the CSU politician. Dpa
