Germany: Could conservative migration proposals endanger European unity?

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock criticized the country’s opposition leader Friedrich Merz on Monday (January 27) for endangering European unity with his proposals for Germany to adopt stricter migration policies.

Merz, the leading candidate for the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU) party in the upcoming German election, has called for the reintroduction of permanent controls along Germany’s land borders and the rejection of asylum seekers attempting to cross from other EU countries.

According to current polls, Merz’ CDU/CSU bloc is set to win the greatest vote share and he could be leading coalition talks for a new government.

If countries start breaking EU law, then the common European project will be destroyed, Baerbock warned during a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels. 

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Schengen zone

Such measures, could also violate the rules of the Schengen Agreement, which ensures visa-free travel across Germany and its neighboring countries.

Baerbock also accused Merz and the CDU/CSU bloc he leads of hindering efforts in parliament to align German law with new EU asylum regulations.

Closing national borders is not only a breach of EU law and anti-European, it would also be impossible to implement in reality Baerbock said.

“We don’t even have that many police officers,” said the German foreign minister, who apologized to other EU countries for the uncertainty caused by the German domestic political debate. She also apologized to other EU member states for the uncertainty caused by Germany’s internal political debate on migration.

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How did other EU countries respond to Germany?

Austria’s acting chancellor, Alexander Schallenberg of the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP), criticized proposals by Germany’s conservative opposition leader Friedrich Merz to reintroduce border controls.

All of Germany’s neighboring countries, including Austria, are part of the visa-free Schengen Zone, which eliminates the need for internal border checks except under exceptional circumstances.

Schallenberg on Monday acknowledged the need to reassess Germany’s migration policies, but emphasized that any measures must adhere to Schengen rules.

“We all know that we need joint solutions,” he said. “If we all just pull up the drawbridges individually, we will all be poorer and no one will be safer.”

Schallenberg, who also serves as Austria’s foreign minister, pointed to existing Schengen regulations that require countries to identify where migrants first entered the EU before returning them. He is leading Austria until a new government is formed. Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), has been tasked with forming a government following his party’s victory in Austria’s autumn elections.

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Border controls made more permanent?

In company with many other European countries, Germany has extended its suspension of the Schengen free border zone uninterrupted since the summer. Under Schengen rules, a country can apply for up to six months of a suspension at a time.

France for instance has been using this suspension rule since 2015 on its border with Italy.

In September, Germany introduced the controls on all its land borders, this was a continuation of the controls it had in place during the European football championships. In September, many of its neighbors raised objections about the continued controls.

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the controls, which can cause long queues at the previously open borders, “unacceptable.” The head of the Dutch-German alliance of border communities told the BBC in September it was a “panic reaction.”

Even Greece, which doesn’t share a border with Germany has complained about the knock on effect German migration policy has on migrants, asylum seekers and refugees in Greece. Many who arrive in Greece hope to eventually travel along the so-called Balkan route towards Germany and other countries in Western Europe.

If Germany were to block that by completely closing its borders, then countries further down the route would inevitably be effected.

Under the current suspension application, controls are due to remain in place until at least March 15, so after the upcoming election.

With DPA