As the vote on the so-called “Zustromsbegrenzungsgesetz” approaches, the SPD sees the Union in a difficult situation. “Friedrich Merz has maneuvered the Union into a dead-end situation” said SPD faction vice Dirk Wiese to the “Handelsblatt”. He is “headless, planless and scrupulous”. According to Wiese, Merz is seeking majorities with the AfD, “instead of striving for solutions together with us, the democratic middle.” The SPD is ready to present “urgently needed bills to implement the joint reform of the European asylum system and the security package that the Union’s states had previously blocked in the Bundesrat” Wiese added.
The reform of the Federal Police Act could also be decided before the February 23 Bundestag election. In contrast to the Union, the SPD is “capable of action”, it respects the Constitution and is aware of its “state political responsibility”.
The so-called “Zustrombegrenzungsgesetz” provides, among other things, for restrictions on so-called “subsidiary beneficiaries”. These are people who face the death penalty or torture in their country of origin, or for whom a serious individual threat exists due to armed conflicts, but who do not receive a full asylum status in Germany. They should no longer have an automatic right to family members coming to Germany, according to the Union’s plans. This proposal is controversial: Although the coalition of Union and SPD had already paused family reunification, the European Court of Justice has clarified in several decisions that minor refugees have a right to family reunification.
Furthermore, the Union plans to allow the federal police to request imprisonment and detention of “fully deportable foreign nationals without leave to remain and those with a leave to remain due to the lack of travel documents” in the future. This should apply in their local area of responsibility, for example at train stations.
The Residence Act, which contains the conditions for entry, residence, employment and integration of foreigners, is to be given as an “expressive overarching provision” the “goal of limiting the control of migration” according to the Union’s plans.
The Union and the FDP are under criticism after they passed a resolution on the limitation of migration in a joint majority with the AfD on Wednesday. According to police reports, over 80,000 people protested nationwide on Thursday. Around 150 more demonstrations are planned for the weekend. Former Chancellor Merkel intervened on Thursday, reminding Merz of his “state political responsibility”, which he had expressed in his proposal in November 2024 to prevent “only a single, chance or actually brought about majority with those from the AfD” from coming into being.