Reported from the source

Quick summary: The CSU parliamentary group is advocating for a significant tightening of asylum and migration policy, demanding that most Syrian refugees return to their home country. Citing the end of the civil war as a reason for the cessation of protection status, the party’s draft resolution for an upcoming meeting proposes a “deportation offensive” by 2026, including scheduled flights to Syria and Afghanistan, and a tougher stance on Ukrainian refugees. This proposal has drawn strong criticism from coalition partner SPD, the Left Party, and church aid organizations, who label it populist, unchristian, and a disregard for humanitarian principles and the dire situation in Syria.

The CSU (Christian Social Union) in the Bundestag is pushing for a further tightening of Germany’s asylum and migration policy. In a draft resolution for the upcoming closed meeting of the CSU state group, the party demands that most Syrian refugees should be sent back to their homeland. The justification provided is that for Syrians with temporary residency rights, the reason for protection ceases after the end of the civil war. The position paper, reported by Münchner Merkur and news agency dpa, states that for those who do not leave voluntarily, repatriations must be initiated as quickly as possible. It calls for a “deportation offensive” by 2026, which would include scheduled flights to Syria and Afghanistan. Additionally, the paper emphasizes that “as a first step, criminals must be consistently deported.” This follows the federal government’s first deportation of a criminal to Syria in 14 years, which occurred just over a week ago. The CSU also seeks a tougher approach towards Ukrainian refugees, particularly “able-bodied Ukrainian men,” though the draft provides no further details. Furthermore, the party intends to raise hurdles for migration into the German social system by restricting the definition of “employee” under the EU Free Movement Directive. Criticism of the CSU’s proposal has been swift. Ralf Stegner, an SPD Bundestag member, told Der Spiegel that such “populist politics – entirely without C” (referring to the ‘Christian’ in CSU) would not be pursued by the SPD. While acknowledging agreements on the consistent repatriation of criminals, Stegner stressed that his party would not abandon humanitarian principles. Sonja Eichwede, deputy SPD parliamentary group leader, highlighted the “excellent” integration of many Syrians in Germany, noting their significant contributions, for example, as doctors. The Left Party condemned the proposal as a “clear rejection of fundamental and human rights,” arguing that refugees cannot simply be deported to the “completely destroyed areas” of Syria. Church aid organizations, including “Brot für die Welt” and Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe, have also warned of the “catastrophic” humanitarian and economic situation in Syria, stating that declaring the country safe to justify deportations ignores the realities on the ground. The AfD, however, supports the CSU’s stance, with Bernd Baumann stating that protection status has expired and political will for returns is necessary. CDU Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul had previously expressed doubts about large-scale voluntary returns to destroyed areas in Syria.

Source: www.tagesschau.de