The number of refugees in Germany attains an all-time peak.
The intensity of discussions regarding migration in Germany has escalated after the alleged Islamist knife incident in Solingen at the end of August. The conflict in Ukraine has led to a record high of nearly 3.5 million refugees residing in Germany, as per the Central Register of Foreigners, as reported by the "New Osnabruecker Zeitung" (NOZ). Clara Buenger, the refugee policy spokeswoman for the Left group in the Bundestag, stated to the newspaper that this accounts for only 4% of the population.
Buenger observed the migration debate in Germany as problematic with these numbers. She expressed concern, stating that politicians from the traffic light coalition, CDU, and AfD are manipulating the public, implying that this small minority is the culprit behind all their issues. She believes this is reckless and serves to strengthen the extreme right.
Following the alleged Islamist knife attack, the federal government proposed countermeasures against violent Islamism, tightening of residence and asylum laws, and border controls with neighboring countries. However, the Union believes these measures are inadequate.
"Return to reason"
Green Party co-chair Omid Nouripour expressed disapproval of the tone in the debate. He mentioned that at times, from the democratic camp, there are overtones reminiscent of certain right-wing extremist posters from the 1990s, calling for the expulsion of all Afghans and Syrians. He described this as inappropriate and called on all democratic parties to return to reason.
Nouripour specifically criticized the Union, accusing them of demanding the rejection of refugees en masse at the borders, including asylum seekers. He said they are open to reasonable proposals from the Union, but as of yet, none have been presented.
As per the "NOZ", the Central Register of Foreigners counts all individuals seeking refuge in Germany for humanitarian reasons, regardless of their residential status. As of the half of 2024, around 1.18 million of these were from Ukraine.
Buenger's concerns about manipulation in the migration debate extend beyond Germany, as she believes similar tactics are being used in other European countries by far-right politicians. The renewed focus on migration in Germany, sparked by the Islamist knife incident and the influx of refugees from Ukraine, has led to calls for a "return to reason" from Green Party co-chair Omid Nouripour.
