Berlin – Dirk Wiese, deputy parliamentary group leader of the SPD, defended Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s line and rejected stationary border controls in the fight against human trafficking. „Stationary border controls would have little success here,“ Wiese told the newspapers of the Mediengruppe Bayern (Tuesday editions). „They primarily tie up personnel that we urgently need to intensify efficient border checks. Smugglers work very flexibly. During border controls, they quickly find new migration routes, bypassing the checks.“ In this regard, border checks in the border area are much more effective, according to Wiese.
Specifically, Wiese emphasized the need for „well-coordinated comprehensive measures such as the establishment of an operational center for the analysis of human trafficking crimes, as well as more intensive cross-border cooperation between the police and the judiciary“. FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr, on the other hand, called for the creation of the possibility to examine asylum applications in third countries in order to effectively combat the activities of criminal smuggling gangs. In addition, such a regulation would provide immediate clarity about the refugee status and prevent people without prospects from embarking on the dangerous Mediterranean route.
The Union, on the other hand, has long been calling for stationary border controls. „It is inexplicable why the Interior Minister has not imposed border controls in the worst migration crisis in years,“ said Alexander Throm, interior policy spokesperson for the Union parliamentary group in the Bundestag. „Instead, she wants to punish smuggling more severely. Without control, this idea is pure wishful thinking without much effect.“ MEP and chairman of the CDU/CSU group in the European Parliament, Daniel Caspary (CDU), called for more German involvement in the migration crisis. „This refugee crisis can only be overcome together. It requires cooperation at all levels: local, national, and European. So far, Europe has been taking action while the federal government is leaving the local level alone.“
According to Caspary, Europe currently wishes for more active involvement from Germany in tackling this refugee crisis. „Germany continues to be the preferred destination for the numerous refugees striving for Europe. This is mainly due to our generous social legislation, especially in relation to the living conditions of the refugees in their home countries. As long as the traffic light coalition considers it sacrosanct not to amend the Social Security Code, Germany will remain a key destination.“