Stübgen calls for increased security at the EU's external borders

Minister of the Interior - Stübgen calls for increased security at the EU's external borders

Following the EU asylum compromise, Brandenburg's Interior Minister Michael Stübgen (CDU) believes that the external borders of the European Union should be more secure. "If the EU's external borders remain so porous and we have to take in additional people from the border procedures, we will have a deterioration," Stübgen, who will be Chairman of the Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK) from January, told the German Press Agency. "This must go hand in hand with increased security at the external borders against the smuggling mafia."

The EU states and the European Parliament had agreed on uniform procedures at Europe's external borders. The plan is to deal much more harshly with people from countries that are considered relatively safe. The distribution of refugees among EU countries will be reorganized. If countries do not want to take in refugees, they are to provide support in the form of money, for example. The European Parliament and the EU member states still have to give their final approval.

"I believe that the procedure at Europe's external borders for obviously unfounded asylum applications is necessary," said Stübgen. "However, the external border camps must first be set up and be appropriate in humanitarian terms." He considers the planned solidarity mechanism for the distribution of refugees to be a "first correct step". Otherwise, no agreement could be reached. "It would make much more sense to take in refugees directly from crisis regions via reception programs," he said.

The CDU politician had campaigned for months for fixed controls at the border with Poland. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) then ordered them at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland in mid-October and extended the measure in order to combat smuggling crime more effectively and limit irregular migration. The number of refugees entering the country illegally fell significantly as a result. Border controls are not actually planned in the Schengen area.

The Minister is aiming for there to be no more border controls: "They are very effective as an immediate measure. However, I would like to abolish border controls as soon as possible because it is an exceptional situation," said Stübgen. "According to the Schengen Code, they may only be notified for an initial period of six months. We need this six months at least, possibly longer. Our goal must be to have no border controls within the European Union." To achieve this, however, the EU's external borders must be secure.

The CDU politician welcomed the compromise reached by the "traffic light" parliamentary groups in the Bundestag on easier deportations. "Easier deportations give our authorities more opportunities to organize returns more efficiently," said Stübgen. "It is still the case that more than half of all returns fail."

According to him, Brandenburg has taken in around 60,000 refugees in the past 24 months, while there are currently only around 4,500 foreigners in the state who are required to leave the country. "Repatriations are important, but not really the solution to the major challenges," said Stübgen. "Voluntary return is an absolute priority for us, we have twice the rate of deportations. However, the solution must primarily lie in limiting access."

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1. Michael Stübgen, the CDU's Interior Minister in Brandenburg, believes that the EU's external borders need to be more secure following the EU asylum compromise.
2. At the upcoming Conference of Interior Ministers (IMK), Stübgen will advocate for increased border control to combat the smuggling mafia.
3. The turn of the year sees EU states and the European Parliament agreeing on harsh procedures for relatively safe countries, reorganizing refugee distribution, and providing financial support to countries unwilling to accept refugees.
4. These measures ultimately aim to secure the EU's external borders and increase overall security against irregular migration.
5. Stübgen, who supports fixed border controls at Poland's border, welcomes the compromise reached in the Bundestag for easier deportations.
6. The German Press Agency reports that the success of these measures has significantly reduced illegal refugee entries in Germany, while Brandenburg has taken in around 60,000 refugees in the past 24 months.
7. However, Stübgen emphasizes that the ultimate solution lies in limiting access to the EU rather than relying heavily on repatriations and deportations.

Source: www.stern.de