The German federal government has warned that the migration plans proposed by CDU leader Friedrich Merz could put at risk the progress made so far in reducing the influx of migrants.
According to a spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of the Interior, speaking in Berlin on Monday, “by taking such a confrontational approach against our member states, one would risk the rejections that are already in place being put at risk.”All cooperation with neighboring countries along the borders would be put in danger through “such nationalist endeavors.”
Furthermore, the legal hurdles for declaring a national emergency, which is a serious threat to public order, are very high and currently not met. The spokesperson referred to the decline in asylum applications last year, while also noting a clear increase in deportations.
The border controls taking place at EU internal borders for months now are already “the exception to the rule”the spokesperson added. “These are already very far-reaching measures. Further ones, in the view of the federal government, would not be legally permissible in the European context.