Result was a shock for CDU leader Friedrich Merz
Bundestag MPs reject migration bill by Christian Democratic Union and backed by far-right Alternative for Germany Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democrats, at a debate in the Bundestag on January 31st prior to a vote on measures concerning immigration and border security.
Ahead of the February 23rd federal election migration has risen to become the dominant issue following a fatal stabbing last month in Bavaria. Two people, including a two-year-old baby, died in the playground attack in Aschaffenburg for which the main suspect is a 28-year-old Afghan man with history of mental illness, a failed asylum application and an overdue deportation order.
After the vote, in which 12 of his own MPs failed to back the party’s bill, Merz said the result “creates clarity on where we stand”. Political rivals warned Merz his strategy had shattered taboos and trust. All SPD and Green MPs voted against the bill, while 67 liberal Free Democratic Party parliamentarians voted in favour; two FDP deputies voted against and five abstained. Many saw Friday’s vote as a belated showdownover of Angela Merkel’s refugee crisis legacy. Keeping German borders open a decade ago earned her wide respect around the world.
In total Germany is home to 3.48 million people seeking asylum or with refugee status, the highest level since the 1950s. New asylum applications fell by 29 per cent last year, while deportations rose 16 per cent. The Scholz administration argues that it has acted to limit inward migration numbers, but officials concede a series of violent attacks means reality and perception are drifting apart in election season.
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