Migration Expert Warns of Consequences of Abandoning Asylum System in Europe
Gerald Knaus, a renowned migration expert, has cautioned that a chain reaction in Europe could occur if more countries declare a state of emergency in regards to migration, as CDU leader Friedrich Merz has threatened to do if he becomes Chancellor.
“If other countries abolish their asylum system in response, it could lead to more people coming to Germany, because it’s only here that there’s a chance at asylum” Knaus told the news magazine Focus. Without a functioning system, no neighboring country would be considered a safe third country, he added.
Knaus has criticized democratic parties for “playing with fire.” He believes that the years of the grand coalition (Ampel-Jahre) were “record years for asylum” and that none of the parties have analyzed the issue. He also described the CDU’s five-point plan as “not implementable and in some parts politically dangerous” and “less well-prepared than a normal children’s birthday party.”
It is confusing, Knaus said, that the CDU’s party program describes Europe as a “heart’s desire” while also calling for permanent border controls. “That means leaving the Schengen area. Does the Union really want that?” he asked.
Furthermore, Knaus finds it absurd to want to deport people to Afghanistan without saying anything about the relationships with the Taliban.
To resolve the migration crisis, Knaus advocates for further agreements of the kind that led to the EU-Turkey deal in 2016. “That would be a way to reduce irregular migration and preserve the freedoms of the EU” he said.