Woidke urges faster repatriation of refugees

Migration - Woidke urges faster repatriation of refugees

Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) hopes that the EU asylum reform and plans for faster deportations will provide more relief for local authorities. "It is now a matter of continuing to work consistently on the implementation and, for example, concluding repatriation agreements with the countries of origin," Woidke told the German Press Agency in Potsdam. It is important for the municipalities "that agreement has now been reached at EU level on the asylum compromise and that agreement has also been signaled at federal level on immigration law and faster deportations for people without the right to stay".

The EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on uniform procedures at Europe's external borders before Christmas. 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 - instead of taking them in, for example, a monetary payment is also possible. The "traffic light" parliamentary groups in the Bundestag also agreed on a compromise on two draft laws for easier deportations and faster naturalization.

Woidke announces cash card for asylum seekers

Woidke sees the greatest relief for local authorities in reducing the number of refugees. "This has also been achieved in recent weeks by tightening border controls," said Woidke. In mid-October, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser(SPD) ordered fixed controls at the borders with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland for the first time and extended them several times. "We also need to join forces to take a clear stance against people smuggling," said Woidke. The extended length of stay in Brandenburg's initial reception center from 6 to 18 months has also brought relief.

The head of government considers the planned introduction of a cash card for asylum seekers to be a means of combating irregular migration. "We are working on switching from cash payments to benefits in kind with the introduction of payment cards," said Woidke. "This is not discrimination, but a building block for consistently using the available resources for those in need and for combating people smuggling." The SPD politician is calling for more integration through work: "In order to better and faster integrate the people who stay with us, we must also succeed in getting them into work more quickly," said Woidke.

The head of government made it clear that, despite efforts to limit the number of refugees, help for people in need would continue. "Of course, we continue to stand by the constitutionally enshrined individual right to asylum and the UN Refugee Convention," said the SPD politician. "It is our humanitarian duty to help people in need." However, migration for purely economic reasons must be distinguished from this.

According to the state government, the municipalities in Brandenburg will probably have to take in and accommodate 19,253 refugees this year. They are already at their limit.