Opinions differ on the subject of EU asylum reform. Green politician Aminata Touré met “Markus Lanz” with opposition from CDU woman Serap Güler.
“Sorry, that’s naive” – during the debate about the planned EU asylum reform, moderator Markus Lanz met Green politician Aminata Touré with clear words on Wednesday evening.
The guests
- Serap Güler, CDU defense politician
- Aminata Touré, Green Party politician
- Robin Alexander, Journalist
- Sarah Pangeng, Politology
The reason: When asked how Germany should cope with immigration despite a shortage of skilled workers – for example in daycare centers and schools – the Schleswig-Holstein Minister of Social Affairs suggested training asylum seekers in order to fill vacancies.
Lanz then asked her whether young Afghans should become educators. She didn’t say that, Touré clarified. It is much more a question of expanding the options for obtaining a residence permit through work.
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Green politician Touré railed against reform plans
“Naive” was not the only criticism that Touré faced with “Markus Lanz”. Her critical position on the plans to reform EU asylum law met with little understanding from “Welt” Deputy Editor-in-Chief Robin Alexander and CDU defense politician Serap Güler.
The background to the current discussion is the question of whether there should be preliminary checks on asylum applications at the EU’s external borders in the future.
The federal government has shown itself open to this, but wants to ensure that minors under the age of 18 and families with children do not have to go through these procedures. The Greens politicians, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economics Minister Robert Habeck, also made corresponding statements.
Referring to the poor conditions in reception camps, Touré criticized Lanz for considering such a procedure to be wrong. According to the Greens politician, European unification should not come at the expense of humanity. She finds it “impossible” to “imprison” people at external borders.
Alexander disagrees with Lanz
Alexander admitted to Touré that he found her position “sympathetic”. However, he repeatedly pointed out that the checks at external borders are only about the refugees, who will most likely be rejected. According to the journalist, all others would not be affected by the reform.
It’s about demotivating people without a right to asylum to come to Germany. Ultimately, this also protects those who are entitled to asylum, explained Alexander.
Refugees as weapons of despots
“Honourable” found CDU woman Güler Touré’s argument. Nevertheless, she also defended the discussed preliminary examination of asylum applications. “It’s not about limiting protection, it’s about limiting illegal migration,” said the former NRW refugee state secretary.
Güler also did not rule out the need for an upper limit. When it came to rulers like Vladimir Putin or Recep Tayyip Erdoğan provoking escape movements in order to exert pressure, she explained that one had to debate the extent to which one would allow “despots to use people as weapons”.
“Shall we give in and say: Anyone who is used as a weapon is welcome?” said Güler. Or should clear rules and lines apply instead?
Güler not very optimistic
Güler also pointed out how complex the topic is. For example, it must be questioned whether those who have fled to Germany and the EU will continue to be “used as a weapon” by despots in order to “blast society from within”.
With a view to the planned meeting of the interior ministers of the European Union in Luxembourg, Güler explained that she was “not as optimistic as the chancellor” that an agreement could be reached.
A major reform of the European asylum system is to be launched in Luxembourg on Thursday. In addition to a much more rigid approach to dealing with migrants with no prospects of staying, there is also a duty to support the member states at the EU’s external borders, which are particularly under pressure.
