German Municipalities Advocate for Federal Responsibility in Deportations.
Cities and municipalities in Germany remain heavily burdened with the intake, accommodation and integration of refugees who have fled to the country, according to André Berghegger, the chief executive of the German Association of Cities and Municipalities (DStGB). “It is therefore urgently necessary to relieve the pressure on municipalities. This includes bundling the responsibilities for the deportation of individuals with a duty to leave at the federal level” he told the ‘New Osnabrück Times’.
“A centralized responsibility would significantly contribute to the efficient, coordinated and swift implementation of the deportation of individuals without a right to stay” Berghegger said. “This is particularly crucial in the case of recidivist or rejected asylum seekers.” A federal responsibility would also enable municipalities to focus more on integrating individuals with a right to stay, the DStGB chief executive added.
Recent shocking events in Solingen and Aschaffenburg have shown that deportations have been delayed and ultimately failed due to a lack of coordination between the relevant authorities, primarily the federal and state governments, Berghegger said. “Therefore, we need a clear responsibility, short decision-making paths and fewer coordination requirements – not least to improve the sense of security among our country’s citizens.” If it were clear that dangerous individuals and offenders would be deported quickly and efficiently, “then the current concerns of citizens would be significantly reduced” Berghegger was convinced.