Germany's
Merz announces tougher migration policy in coalition deal
Chancellor-in-waiting
says Germany will impose national border controls, return asylum seekers at
borders, end voluntary admission programs, and suspend family reunification
Ayhan
Şimşek |
09.04.2025 -
Update : 09.04.2025
BERLIN
Christian
Democrats and Social Democrats have agreed to take a tougher stance on
irregular migration in their coalition agreement, Chancellor-in-waiting
Friedrich Merz announced on Wednesday.
At a joint
press conference in Berlin with coalition partners, Merz said the agreement
would establish a “strong” government “capable of taking action” in response to
mounting domestic and international challenges.
“We will
embark on a new course in migration policy. We will better organize and manage,
with the aim of largely ending irregular migration,” he said. “There will be
controls at national borders and also returns of asylum seekers at the border.
We will intensify deportations, end voluntary admission programs, and suspend
family reunification.”
The veteran
conservative politician announced plans to reverse citizenship law reforms
enacted by the previous government, ending the path to German citizenship after
three years of residency. Under the new rules, migrants will only be eligible
for naturalization after five years of successful integration.
Merz also
outlined measures to strengthen domestic policy by increasing police powers and
expanding digital surveillance capabilities of security authorities. He also
announced the creation of a “Federal Security Council” within the chancellery
and a national crisis team to better coordinate analysis and response to crisis
situations.
Conservative
leader Merz is under increasing pressure as recent opinion polls show his
Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) have fallen to 24%—their lowest level in three
years. At the same time, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has
reached its highest-ever polling numbers at 25% support, marking a rise of
three percentage points since March.
The AfD's
surge stems from widespread voter frustration with mainstream parties and the
prolonged government formation process. Merz's alliance, which had campaigned
on stricter immigration controls and economic reforms, has struggled to deliver
concrete results during weeks-long coalition negotiations with Social Democrats
following the February elections.
After
Wednesday's agreement, the draft coalition deal between the CDU/CSU alliance
and SPD requires approval from relevant party bodies and delegates. The Social
Democrats plan to hold a membership-wide vote, while the Christian Democrats
will decide through a small party conference. If approved, the German
parliament could elect Merz as the new chancellor on May 7.
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