Kretschmann: We must limit irregular migration
Baden-Württemberg's Minister President Winfried Kretschmann has warned against undermining the right to asylum if irregular migration is not curbed. "You don't need the right to asylum if everyone can come and stay as they please. We have to limit irregular migration, otherwise the right to asylum will be undermined," the Green politician told the newspaper "taz".
The fact that the Greens were kicked out of the government in Hesse should be a wake-up call for his party. "The course of migration policy is crucial here: take the brakes off when it comes to curbing irregular migration."
The right to asylum must not be undermined, said Kretschmann. "Humanity can only exist in order. Asylum means that those who are persecuted can come here. But that also means that those who are not persecuted cannot come through the right of asylum." If the Green Youth are now fearing isolation, one can only ask: "Where do they live? We have just taken in one million Ukrainian refugees, Baden-Württemberg alone has taken in twice as many Ukrainian refugees as France. That is the opposite of isolation."
If the state does nothing about the migration issue, the impression is created that the state is incapable of acting. "That is the most dangerous message of all! It drives people to the right," said Kretschmann.
Lang criticizes "overbidding competition" with demands
Meanwhile, Green Party leader Ricarda Lang criticized a "competition to outdo each other" when it comes to making demands in the migration debate. "I would say that we should now focus the debate on what is most beneficial, especially for the municipalities that have to implement it on the ground - and not on what sounds the toughest," she said on Deutschlandfunk radio.
"I think that we have sometimes seen a shift within this debate, that suddenly what sounds the hardest is seen as the most realistic, even though it actually has nothing to do with reality," she criticized. "One example of this is the debate on upper limits that we have been having for weeks. I could name numerous others." The Green course in migration policy consists of naming bogus solutions and going along with pragmatic solutions.
Lang rejected the accusation from the CDU/CSU that the Greens were not willing to compromise enough. "I don't think anyone has to explain to us as Greens after these last two years that compromise is part of politics, that compromise is part of democracy," she said. "We have made decisions in many areas in recent years. I would like to remind you of the arms deliveries to Ukraine. I would like to remind you of the rapid expansion of the LNG terminals, where we jumped over our own shadows because reality made it necessary."
CDU leader Friedrich Merz said on Deutschlandfunk radio at the weekend: "The Greens must remain in touch with reality." They would have to accept that they would have to make compromises. If they are not prepared to do so, the CDU/CSU has other options. The background to this is the Hessian CDU's decision to enter into negotiations with the SPD instead of its long-standing Green coalition partner to form a government. The CDU demands, for example, that the number of safe countries of origin be significantly expanded, that family reunification of refugees be limited and that multiple asylum applications be prevented.
- Winfried Kretschmann, the Green politician in Baden-Württemberg, stated that limiting irregular migration is crucial to uphold the right to asylum, as uncontrolled migration could undermine it.
- Ricarda Lang, leader of the German Green Party, warned against an "overbidding competition" in migration debates, emphasizing the need to focus on pragmatic solutions beneficial for municipalities.
- In response to criticisms, Lang asserted that the Greens understand the importance of compromise in politics, citing decisions such as arms deliveries to Ukraine and LNG terminal expansions.
Source: www.dpa.com
