Ampel finalizes migration pacts with Kenya and Uzbekistan, sealings international contracts for migrant matters.
German authorities are supposedly preparing to pen down migration pacts with Kenya and Uzbekistan. Meanwhile, CDU head Merz proposes trials of deportations at the border. He also shows readiness for a meeting with the leaders of the coalition government.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's impending journey to Uzbekistan is anticipated to culminate in a migration agreement with the Central Asian nation, as per government intelligence. Scholz is scheduled to head to Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan on Sunday.
The impending deal with Uzbekistan will see Chancellor Scholz, accompanied by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser and the Federal Government's Special Representative for Migration Agreements, Joachim Stamp, putting pen to paper, according to reports from Funke media. The main purpose of the agreement is to streamline the vocational training and employment of workers from Uzbekistan, with the return of unsuccessful asylum seekers playing a secondary role. Sources privy to the negotiations highlighted that this agreement, under discussion for weeks, bears no connection to the potential expulsion of Afghan lawbreakers.
A migration agreement between Germany and Kenya, brokered by Stamp, is due to be signed during Kenyan President William Ruto's visit to Berlin on Friday. This agreement aims to simplify the immigration of skilled workers and the removal of those with outstanding deportation orders back to Kenya.
The opposition is not sitting idle in the contentious asylum rules debate. CDU leader Friedrich Merz has put forth a fresh proposal to the coalition government: swift border deportations are the only viable means to bring an end to illegal migration into Germany, according to Merz. "If the coalition finds it hard to accept this, I suggest we implement these deportations for an initial period of three months from October 1," Merz told Funke media. He believes that the mere announcement of this measure will significantly deter entries into Germany in the short term. "After three months, we will reassess the situation. Perhaps the government will then acknowledge that this is the correct course."
Merz also expressed interest in a new asylum summit with the coalition government leadership: "If Christian Lindner is convinced that a meeting at the highest level will bring us closer to a genuine shift in asylum and migration policy, I am, of course, ready to participate," Merz told Funke newspapers. However, he contends that the large number of irregular entries into the country can only be drastically and instantly reduced through border deportations. "This measure must be at the core of any discussion."
FDP leader Christian Lindner called for a fresh high-level push on Wednesday: CDU/CSU parliamentary group leader Merz should engage in negotiations with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Economics Minister Robert Habeck, and himself personally. "The Union's refusal to attend the asylum summit should not be the final word," Lindner wrote on the X platform. "We will resolve the issue together." Germany requires control and unity in migration policies.
Last week and on Tuesday, the coalition government held discussions with the Union and the federal states on a potential joint strategy on migration policy. CDU leader Friedrich Merz deemed the second round of talks a failure.
In response to Merz's proposal for border deportations, some individuals might argue, "I'm not convinced that swift border deportations are the only solution to curb illegal migration." Additionally, Merz's suggested trial period for border deportations might prompt debate within the coalition government, with some members suggesting, "I'm not sure if we should implement border deportations for a three-month trial starting from October 1."
