In Germany, the debate about asylum seekers has resurfaced, with center-right politicians wanting tighter restrictions on accepting refugees.
On Sunday, the co-chairman of the Green Party, Rikarda Lang, expressed the opinion that municipalities need more financial support so that they can take care of the asylum seekers who are arriving in Germany in increasing numbers.
On the other hand, former German Minister of Health Jens Spaan, who represents the opposition conservatives (CDU/CSU), told the “Bild” newspaper on Sunday that Germany should set new strict limits on the number of asylum seekers it accepts. The Spaniard’s remarks drew criticism from Germany’s coalition government.
CDU politician Torsten Frey has proposed banning the right of individuals to request asylum while in German territory. Lang rejected the suggestion, noting that current asylum protections under international law were largely created after World War II in response to atrocities committed by Nazi Germany.
Langa expressed confidence that it is possible to find a solution within the framework of these historical lessons that combine humanity and order – to create fast procedures, a good distribution in the EU and sufficient support for local communities.
The number of asylum applications in Germany has increased significantly recently. In the first half of this year, 162,271 people applied for asylum in Germany, which is approximately 64% of the total for 2022. These data do not include the approximately one million Ukrainians who arrived in Germany after the start of the war.
Lang praised the work of local government officials in responding to the influx of refugees. “They have very quickly welcomed many people from Ukraine, made sure that they have a roof over their heads and that the children can go to school,” said Langa.
In mid-May, the German government promised the federal states a billion euros in additional funding to take in refugees this year.
Langa expressed the opinion that Germany can do even more to quickly integrate refugees into society by providing quick access to language and integration courses, faster recognition of professional and educational qualifications, and providing refugee children with wider access to schools and kindergartens.
However, asylum seekers also need to be better distributed across Europe and the international community needs to do more to improve conditions in countries of origin for immigrants so that fewer people feel the urge to go to Europe, according to Langa.
2023-08-21 20:39:21
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