Saxony's Interior Minister Schuster is met with criticism with his asylum quota proposal

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) is met with clear criticism after his proposal to change asylum law in Germany. Parts of the opposition in the state parliament accused him of undermining the basic right to asylum.

BSW state and parliamentary group leader Ronny Kupke said: "Anyone who has to fear persecution, torture, death or other serious dangers when returning needs protection." This claim must be decided on a case-by-case basis, but an exhausted contingent should not turn away people in acute danger.

The Green Party leader in the state parliament, Franziska Schubert, described Schuster's comments as unworthy and shameful for a CDU interior minister. »The fundamental right to asylum is a humanitarian, civilizational achievement. “I shudder at such suggestions,” she said, according to the statement. »Change the European Convention on Human Rights from Saxony? What absurd statements!”

Left-wing parliamentary group leader Susanne Schaper called on Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) to put a stop to his interior minister. He should make it clear to Schuster that his job is to protect the constitution and not to question it.

The situation has “relaxed noticeably” to date

There was also criticism from the Federal Government's Integration Commissioner, Natalie Pawlik (SPD). She said: Demands such as the removal of the fundamental right to asylum only serve right-wing resentments. She expects the Saxon Interior Minister not to allow himself to be carried away by populist debates about fundamental rights.

The acute overload in many municipalities when it comes to accommodation has “relaxed noticeably” to date, said the SPD politician. »The number of asylum seekers has been falling continuously since the end of 2023. What our cities and communities really need is support in integrating the local people who come to us and a functioning and well-funded integration infrastructure.«

Schuster's four-point plan provides for an annual quota

In his four-point plan, Schuster called for an annual quota instead of the individual right to asylum. “The reception capacity in cities and communities must be the benchmark for the extent to which Germany will grant asylum in the future,” says the draft. In addition, an amendment to the European Convention on Human Rights should make it easier to deport criminals. Rejected refugees should in future be able to be taken into so-called “compulsory detention”.

After the criticism, the Saxon Ministry of the Interior made it clear that the project was not about abolishing the fundamental right to asylum. “Providing protection to those who are politically persecuted remains an unshakable ethical and historical obligation for Germany,” Schuster told the dpa news agency. “Asylum must remain anchored in the Basic Law as an institution and state goal, but will be granted within the framework of protection quotas up to a flexible upper limit, as is also practiced in Canada, Austria or Denmark,” said the minister about his proposal.

Union politicians repeatedly called for a quota release

Schuster's initiative initially had little resonance within the ranks of his own party. Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) simply agreed with his colleague and party friend that they have not yet reached their goal when it comes to migration. »However, I am currently reluctant to bring forward demands in the debate that include fundamental changes such as a change to the Basic Law or the European Convention on Human Rights. In my opinion, these cannot be implemented in the short or medium term," he said.

According to Poseck, there is no majority in sight in the Bundestag to change the constitution. One should now concentrate on measures that can be implemented quickly in practice and law. As an example, he cited the cell phone tracking of those forced to leave the country in hiding and the consistent implementation of the return regulation.

In the past, Union politicians have repeatedly called for a quota release or an upper limit for asylum seekers. In January 2016, the then Bavarian Prime Minister and CSU leader Horst Seehofer named an upper limit of a maximum of 200,000 asylum seekers per year for Germany. Sachson's head of government Kretschmer had advocated for an upper limit of 50,000 or 60,000 asylum seekers annually in 2024 - the year of the state elections in the Free State.