Ex-leader of the Social Democratic Party - Impending deportation discussion: Sigmar Gabriel urges Scholz to talk with the Taliban.
Ex-SPD chief Sigmar Gabriel encourages Chancellor Olaf Scholz to hold talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan regarding his plan to expel serious criminals. "The federal government must strive to negotiate with the Taliban to make deportations to Afghanistan lawful," Gabriel wrote in a guest contribution for Bild am Sonntag.
"The government must request verifiable assurances from Kabul that deportees won't be subjected to torture or execution." Furthermore, the federal government "should compensate nations that accept their citizens back if they don't have the authority to remain in Germany."
Gabriel requests alteration in deportation discourse
Following the deadly knife assault on a police officer in Mannheim, Scholz expressed his desire to allow deportations of serious criminals to Afghanistan and Syria once more. Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) is analyzing this at present.
Former SPD chief Gabriel called Scholz out for his hesitant behavior in the deportation debate. "It's high time Olaf Scholz makes that change public," Gabriel penned. "We recall his time as Hamburg's interior minister: Scholz can be firm. His flaw: The change of heart happened too late then, as well." And now, the SPD had dropped to a despised 15%, prompting Scholz to act: "To display leadership and silence his party's critics." Anyone escaping to Germany from other countries who commit crimes or murder here risks losing our protection.
Faeser focuses on risky individuals
Faeser shared her sentiment in an interview with Deutschlandfunk broadcast over the weekend: "I aim to deport to Afghanistan and Syria since it's unacceptable for criminals and perpetrators who have completed their sentences here and still pose a threat to remain here." In addressing the question of whether she'd negotiate with the Islamists, she remarked: "It's not about forging new ties with those regimes; we can employ existing connections." Neighbouring countries sometimes maintain relationships, making it crucial to utilize them to bring back dangerous people.
Since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul in August 2021, Germany has halted deportations for Afghans. Some opponents caution against negotiating with the militant Taliban, asserting they may not be recognized, and the funds should not flow—which could potentially be utilized to establish terrorist networks in Germany. The Taliban have recently indicated openness to cooperation in relation to the deportation debate.
Union is critical of deportation plans
Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl expects the national government to provide an analysis specifying safe areas in Afghanistan and Syria by the next Interior Minister Conference (IMK). "The federal government must provide a situation evaluation from the Foreign Ministry by then, defining the safe regions for deporting to Afghanistan and Syria," said the CDU member to Bild. The next Interior Minister Conference is scheduled for June 19-21 in Berlin.
Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) derided the Foreign Office for their safety evaluations for both countries. "I can't fathom why the Foreign Office continues to prevent deportation to Afghanistan and Syria with its security assessment," he told Bild.
Within the Union, Scholz's deportation declaration faced doubt. "I truly hope it will happen, but I'm not entirely convinced. The Chancellor had already announced in October on Spiegel that 'in large numbers' would be deported," remarked CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann in an interview with ntv. de. "If I were in Scholz's position, I'd travel to Sweden right now, fly there, and study how they undertake it." Sweden deported a few criminals to Afghanistan in 2023.
CSU leader Markus Söder shared similar thoughts. He believed the Chancellor's remarks were prompted by the election campaign, considering Europe. "A government statement won't suffice, so long as the Greens don't comply," said Söder in a conversation with Welt TV on Friday.
Söder advocated stricter rules. "The issue is that many people hail from Afghanistan, Syria, and they don't undergo an individual asylum procedure anymore, but receive a sort of open invitation. They are effectively deemed persecuted. I consider that a mistake."
Subsidiary protection eligible individuals are those who offer genuine reasons why they don't qualify for protection in their home country or feel it's unwise to claim it due to the danger they face. ^1
- Subsidiary Protection
Read also:
- Sigmar Gabriel, the ex-leader of the SPD, has urged Chancellor Olaf Scholz to negotiate with the Taliban in Afghanistan regarding deportations of serious criminals.
- Gabriel wrote in a guest contribution for Bild am Sonntag that the federal government should seek verifiable assurances from Kabul that deportees won't be subjected to torture or execution.
- Gabriel's call comes after Scholz expressed his desire to allow deportations to Afghanistan and Syria following a deadly knife attack in Mannheim.
- Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) is currently analyzing this issue, while former SPD chief Gabriel criticizes Scholz for his hesitant behavior.
- Faeser shares her sentiment that it's unacceptable for criminals to remain in Germany after serving their sentences, emphasizing the need to utilize existing connections with neighboring countries.
- Germany has halted deportations for Afghans since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul in August 2021, with some opponents cautious about negotiating with the militant group.
- The Union, however, is critical of Scholz's deportation plans, with Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl expecting a situation evaluation from the Foreign Ministry by June 19-21.
- Markus Söder, the CSU leader, believes Scholz's remarks are prompted by the election campaign and advocates stricter rules, specifically criticizing the open invitation for individuals from Afghanistan and Syria.
- Subsidiary protection eligible individuals are those who offer genuine reasons why they don't qualify for protection in their home country or feel it's unwise to claim it due to the danger they face.
