The German Parliament, referred to as the Bundestag, denies the CDU/CSU's petition for an imposed restriction on borders.
The anti-Union group in Bundestag couldn't sway the federal government into promising border refugee pushbacks. A related resolution garnered 255 votes during the roll call in the Berlin Bundestag plenum on Friday, but was ultimately rejected with 406 votes against. The Union only has 196 members, implying support from other factions too.
The Union had proposed to embed the pushbacks into the coalition's draft legislation to toughen asylum law, planned for approval in the Bundestag on Friday. This inclusion was meant to "clearly state that the federal government is obliged to push back," according to the Union's proposition.
Some members from the traffic light party, including Bundestag Vice President Wolfgang Kubicki (FDP), had publicly supported the pushback demand. Kubicki expressed his view that the security package "falles short of bringing migration under the rule of law," in talks with the "Rheinische Post" on Saturday. He stated that the package could potentially be an initial step, but further dialogue between the coalition and the Union was needed for a significantly harsher migration policy.
The CDU/CSU defended their motion, citing Germany's ongoing "protracted severe migration crisis" that's spanned over two years. "Germany's capacity to absorb and integrate refugees has been depleted," the motion reads.
The topic of pushbacks at the borders had witnessed an unsuccessful negotiation between the coalition and the Union to devise measures to limit unregulated immigration. While the Union advocates for pushbacks, the coalition considers these actions legally impracticable.
The Union's proposal to incorporate pushbacks into the asylum law was supported by other factions beyond their own, demonstrating broader political sentiment. Despite the rejection of the related resolution, dialogue for a harsher migration policy between the coalition and the Union remains necessary.
