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Germany's Dobrindt, EU ministers propose radical shift in asylum policy to ease migration strain
European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Danish Minister of Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad Bek, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of the Interior Daniela Ludwig, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, and Czech Interior Minister Vit Rakusan meet to discuss migration policies, during Zugspitze Summit, near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Reuters
Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and five European counterparts agreed on a set of goals on Friday to tighten asylum rules in the bloc, including allowing deportations to Afghanistan and Syria.
The meeting at Germany's highest peak, the Zugspitze, follows Berlin's decision in May to reject asylum seekers at the border, a policy it said was coordinated with neighbouring countries but drew significant criticism.
It comes almost exactly a decade after former German Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's borders to nearly a million refugees fleeing war and persecution, a landmark decision that reshaped European politics.
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Dobrindt met counterparts from France, Poland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Denmark, as well as EU Home Affairs Commissioner Magnus Brunner.
The agreed asylum policy goals, which require approval from Brussels, include removing legislative obstacles to transferring rejected asylum seekers to secure centres outside the EU and enabling asylum procedures in third countries.
Germany's new government has already placed curbs on migration including suspending family reunification and resettlement programmes, as it seeks to regain support from voters drawn to the far-right Alternative for Germany, which made historic gains in February's federal election. On Friday Germany deported 81 Afghan men to Afghanistan.
'We are all concerned that the overburdening of our countries by illegal migration is also contributing massively to the polarization of society. We want to push back this polarization,' Dobrindt said.
Deportations to countries such as Afghanistan and Syria should be reinstated as standard practice, with citizens from countries failing to cooperate on deportations to face visa restrictions, a joint declaration said.
Trade, and development aid will also be used as leverage to boost returns and strengthen migration cooperation, the document said, pressing for increasing deployment of drones and more EU funding for border infrastructure and personnel.
The countries agreed to combat smugglers and work to dismantle human trafficking networks.
Asylum seekers who have already been granted protection in another EU country will be quickly rejected if they claim asylum elsewhere in the bloc.
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'Once we seal the external border, there will be no need for internal border controls,' Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said.
Siemoniak said he discussed the border controls Germany introduced unilaterally at its border with Dobrindt, adding that Poland is ready to waive the controls at its border once Germany does the same.
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Mint
30 minutes ago
- Mint
Spy cockroaches and AI robots: Germany plots the future of warfare
Two of three European defence "unicorns" are German Government more supportive of defence startups, CEOs say Govt creating fast track to bypass procurement red tape, sources say Smaller firms advising govt alongside Rheinmetall, source says By Supantha Mukherjee, Sarah Marsh and Christoph Steitz MUNICH/BERLIN/FRANKFURT, July 23 (Reuters) - For Gundbert Scherf - the co-founder of Germany's Helsing, Europe's most valuable defence start-up - Russia's invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Scherf had to fight hard to attract investment after starting his company - which produces military strike drones and battlefield AI - four years ago. Now, that's the least of his problems. The Munich-based company more than doubled its valuation to $12 billion at a fundraising last month. "Europe this year, for the first time in decades, is spending more on defense technology acquisition than the U.S.," said Scherf. The former partner at McKinsey & Company says Europe may be on the cusp of a transformation in defence innovation akin to the Manhattan Project - the scientific push that saw the U.S. rapidly develop nuclear weapons during World War Two. "Europe is now coming to terms with defense." Reuters spoke to two dozens executives, investors and policymakers to examine how Germany - Europe's largest economy - aims to play a central role in the rearming the continent. Chancellor Friedrich Merz's government views AI and start-up technology as key to its defence plans and is slashing bureaucracy to connect startups directly to the upper echelons of its military, the sources told Reuters. Shaped by the trauma of Nazi militarism and a strong postwar pacifist ethos, Germany long maintained a relatively small and cautious defence sector, sheltered by U.S. security guarantees. Germany's business model, shaped by a deep aversion to risk, has also favoured incremental improvements over disruptive innovation. No more. With U.S. military support now more uncertain, Germany - one of the biggest backers of Ukraine - plans to nearly triple its regular defence budget to around 162 billion euros ($175 billion) per year by 2029. Much of that money will go into reinventing the nature of warfare, the sources said. Helsing is part of a wave of German defence start-ups developing cutting-edge technology, from tank-like AI robots and unmanned mini-submarines to battle-ready spy cockroaches. "We want to help give Europe its spine back," said Scherf. Some of these smaller firms are now advising the government alongside established firms - so-called primes such as Rheinmetall and Hensoldt - that have less incentive to focus primarily on innovation, given their long backlogs for conventional systems, one of the sources said. A new draft procurement law, expected to be approved by Merz's cabinet on Wednesday, aims to reduce hurdles for cash-strapped start-ups to join tenders by enabling advance payment to these firms, according to a version dated June 25, reviewed by Reuters. The law would also entitle authorities to limit tenders to bidders inside the European Union. Marc Wietfeld, CEO and founder of autonomous robots maker ARX Robotics, said a recent meeting with German defence minister Boris Pistorius hammered home how deep the rethink in Berlin goes. "He told me: 'Money is no longer an excuse - it's there now'. That was a turning point," he said. Since Donald Trump's return to the political stage and his renewed questioning of America's commitment to NATO, Germany has committed to meet the alliance's new target of 3.5% of GDP on defense spending by 2029 - faster than most European allies. Officials in Berlin have emphasized the need to foster a European defence industry rather than rely on U.S. companies. But the hurdles towards scaling up industry champions in Germany - and Europe more broadly - are considerable. Unlike in the United States, the market is fragmented in Europe. Each country has its own set of procurement standards to fulfill contracts. The United States, the world's top military spender, already has an established stable of defence giants, like Lockheed Martin and RTX, and an advantage in key areas, including satellite technology, fighter jets and precise-guided munitions. Washington also began boosting defence tech startups in 2015 - including Shield AI, drone maker Anduril and software company Palantir - by awarding them parts of military contracts. European startups until recently languished with little government support. But an analysis by Aviation Week in May showed Europe's 19 top defence spenders - including Turkey and Ukraine - were projected to spend 180.1 billion this year on military procurement compared, to 175.6 billion for the United States. Washington's overall military spending will remain higher. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, head of Germany's security and defence sector association BDSV, said one challenge was that the military's procurement system was geared toward established suppliers and not well suited to the fast pace that new technologies require. Germany's defence ministry said in a statement it was taking steps to accelerate procurement and to better integrate startups in order to make new technologies quickly available to the Bundeswehr. Annette Lehnigk-Emden, head of the armed forces' powerful procurement agency, highlighted drones and AI as emerging fields that Germany needs to develop. "The changes they're bringing to the battlefield are as revolutionary as the introduction of the machine gun, tank, or airplane," she told Reuters. Sven Weizenegger, who heads up the Cyber Innovation hub, the Bundeswehr's innovation accelerator, said the war in Ukraine was also changing social attitudes, removing a stigma towards working in the defence sector. "Germany has developed a whole new openness towards the issue of security since the invasion," he said. Weizenegger said he was receiving 20-30 Linkedin requests a day, compared to maybe 2-3 weekly back in 2020, with ideas for defence technology to develop. Some of the ideas under development feel akin to science fiction – like Swarm Biotactics' cyborg cockroaches that are equipped with specialised miniature backpacks that enable real-time data collection via cameras for example. Electrical stimuli should allow humans to control the insects' movements remotely. The aim is for them to provide surveillance information in hostile environments - for example information about enemy positions. "Our bio-robots - based on living insects - are equipped with neural stimulation, sensors, and secure communication modules," said CEO Stefan Wilhelm. "They can be steered individually or operate autonomously in swarms. In the first half of the 20th century, German scientists pioneered many military technologies that became global standards, from ballistic missiles to jet aircraft and guided weapons. But following its defeat in World War II, Germany was demilitarized and its scientific talent was dispersed. Wernher von Braun, who invented the first ballistic missile for the Nazis, was one of hundreds of German scientists and engineers transported to the United States in the wake of World War II, where he later worked at NASA and developed the rocket that took Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. In recent decades, defence innovation has been a powerful driver of economic progress. Tech like the internet, GPS, semiconductors and jet engines originated in military research programs before transforming civilian life. Hit by high energy prices, a slowdown in demand for its exports and competition from China, Germany's $4.75 trillion economy contracted over the last two years. Expanding military research could provide an economic fillip. "We just need to get to this mindset: a strong defense industrial base means a strong economy and innovation on steroids," said Markus Federle, managing partner at defence-focused investment firm Tholus Capital. ESCAPING 'THE VALLEY OF DEATH' Risk aversion among European investors had in the past disadvantaged startups, which struggled to get the capital they need to survive the 'valley of death' – the critical early stage when costs are high and sales low. But a boost in defence spending by European governments following Russia's invasion of Ukraine has investors looking for opportunities. Europe now boasts three start-ups with a unicorn valuation of more than $1 billion: Helsing, German drone maker Quantum Systems, and Portugal's Tekever, which also manufactures drones. "There's a lot of pressure now on Germany being the lead nation of the European defense," said Sven Kruck, Quantum's chief strategy officer. Germany has become Ukraine's second-biggest military backer after the United States. Orders that might once have taken years to approve now take months and European startups have had the opportunity to test their products quickly in the field, several sources said. Venture capital funding of European defence tech hit $1 billion in 2024, up from a modest $373 million in 2022, and is expected to surge even more this year. "Society has recognized that we have to defend our democracies," said Christian Saller, general partner at HV Capital, an investor in both ARX and Quantum Systems. Venture capital funding has grown faster in Germany than elsewhere, according to a data analysis by Dealroom for Reuters. German defence startups have received $1.4 billion in the last five years from investors, followed by UK, the data shows. Jack Wang, partner at venture capital firm Project A, said many German defence startups - rooted in the country's engineering prowess - are good at integrating established components into scalable systems. "Quality of talent in Europe is extremely high, but as a whole, there's no better country, no better talent that we've seen other than in Germany," he said. Weakness in Germany's automotive industry means there is production capacity to spare, including in the Mittelstand: the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that form the backbone of Germany's economy. Stefan Thumann, CEO of Bavarian startup Donaustahl, which produces loitering munitions, said he receives 3 to 5 applications daily from workers at automotive companies. "The startups just need the brains to do the engineering and prototyping," he said. "And the German Mittelstand will be their muscles." ($1 = 0.8560 euros) (Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Munich, Sarah Marsh in Berlin and Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt; Additional Reporting by Sabine Siebold in Berlin; Editing by Kenneth Li and Daniel Flynn)
NDTV
41 minutes ago
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From A Fake Embassy In Ghaziabad To The Weird World Of Micronations
Delhi Police shut down an embassy this week. The Embassy of the Grand Duchy of Westarctica. Only it wasn't the Grand Duchy's embassy. It was a scam run by a man from Ghaziabad, who rented a bungalow, padded the scenery with high-end cars and photographed pictures of himself with world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to con people out of lakhs. It was a fake embassy, yes. But, amazingly, the Grand Duchy of Westarctica is not. It is a 'country', a tract of land in western Antarctica that is around 620,000 square miles large and has a 'royal head of state' - His Royal Highness, the Grand Duke Travis - a flag, currency (the Ice Mark), and over 2,500 'citizens'. Only it is not. Because no sovereign nation in the world recognises it. Confused? Welcome to the weird and entertaining world of micronations. What is a micronation? It is an aspirant state, a wedge of unclaimed land or an abandoned structure, or even a disputed field of wheat (yes, that happened), that claims sovereignty and political independence, but lacks the force majeure to enforce that demand under international law. These are not the same as microstates - such as the Vatican City and Liechtenstein - which are recognised sovereign nations despite their small size. So what's the point? Well... that's a question, isn't it? Many are created as a joke. There is the Republic of Le Saugeais, for example, a collection of 11 villages between France and Switzerland 'born' in 1947 after a joke between a hotel owner and a French official. Others may have been formed as a form of protest, however bizarre. In Florida in 1982, the Mayor of the island city of Key West declared the Conch Republic and 'seceded from the United States' to highlight the lack of development of the region. Another example is Freetown Christania in Copenhagen, an 'anarchist commune' of around 1,000 people built - intentionally - over a former military base. The main street is called Pusher and, unsurprisingly, was famous for the open but illegal trade in cannabis, right until last year. And then there are yet more. The Principality of Sealand is an offshore platform in the North Sea that was used by British military during World War II. Taken over by Paddy Roy Bates, a former soldier, Sealand is now, perhaps, the most famous micronation, and even has 'visas' for 'tourists' who want to visit. There is the Republic of Minerva - an artificial island built over disputed coral reefs lying between the Pacific island nations of Fiji and Tonga. And there is Liberland - a seven square km parcel of forested and uninhabited land that is part of Serbia and Croatia's border argument. For the artist in you, there is the Royal Republic of Ladonia that was created in 1986 because local authorities in southern Sweden's Kullaberg said two sculptures were illegally built. Ladonia is now ruled by Her Majesty the Queen, Carolyn. But what, really, is a micronation? Anything you want it to be, really. A friendly 'how to' guide shared by the President of the Republic of Molossia in the American state of Nevada has quite a few details, including the five different kinds. A 'soverign nation' that has a formal system of government, passports and border control, and membership in an international organisation. These are usually built around physical territories. A 'ship under flag of convenience', which would be like Sealand. A third kind is created using the laws of the country in whose territory the micronation lies. The fourth and fifth are a 'model country', which is usually a website or an online presence, and establishing a 'nation' in a remote area. Liberland is an example of the latter. Now the legal (and boring) bit. A micronation is not 'real'. None has ever been accepted by an established nation. But that does not mean their creators/founders are not serious about their 'countries'. For example, in 2000 Molossia founded and hosted the 'Intermicronational Olympic Games' that coincideed with the Summer Olympics. The list of events included online games like chess and checkers (hosted unofficially on the Yahoo platform) and assorted track events. Molossia President Kevin Baugh and his son Mark were the stars, winning gold medals in the 100 metre dash and frisbee throw, and silvers in 'the tennis ball throw', chess, and checkers. We're still waiting for the next Intermicronational Olympic Games. But last year the Jewish Bolshevist Republic of Schykille, in Pennsylvania in the US, hosted a world football tournament that featured 24 teams, including Sealand. Want to start your own micronation? This sounds fun. You could, really. In the words of Mr Baugh, the President of Molossia, you could start by simply claiming land. "... it doesn't need to be solely yours. Claim land that is publicly owned, like a local park, a nature reserve, that sort of thing. Go there, plant your flag, and claim the land for your nation..." Then all you need is a flag, a national anthem, and other 'national' symbols. Congratulations. Just beware of unscrupulous men and women pretending to be your diplomatic envoys! NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
EU readies €100 billion no-deal plan to match Trump's 30% tariff
The European Union plans to quickly hit the US with 30% tariffs on some €100 billion ($117 billion) worth of goods in the event of no deal and if US President Donald Trump carries through with his threat to impose that rate on most of the bloc's exports after Aug. 1. As a part of a first wave of countermeasures, the EU would combine an already approved list of tariffs on €21 billion of US goods and a previously proposed list on an additional €72 billion of American products into one package, a European Commission spokesman said on Wednesday. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Artificial Intelligence MBA Technology healthcare Cybersecurity Degree PGDM Operations Management Public Policy Healthcare Product Management Data Analytics CXO Others Data Science others Data Science MCA Leadership Project Management Finance Management Design Thinking Digital Marketing Skills you'll gain: Duration: 7 Months S P Jain Institute of Management and Research CERT-SPJIMR Exec Cert Prog in AI for Biz India Starts on undefined Get Details The US exports, which include industrial goods such as Boeing Co. aircraft, US-made cars and bourbon whiskey, would face a levy that matches Trump's 30% threat, according to people familiar with the matter. The tariffs would be prepared to come into force next month but only if there is no deal and the US implements its levies after the August deadline, said the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. The euro extended a fall after the report, down 0.3% at $1.1723, leading losses among major currencies. German bonds trimmed an earlier decline. Live Events The plans come as EU member states, including Germany, have hardened their positions in response to the US stiffening its negotiating stance. Berlin would be willing to even support the activation of the EU's anti-coercion instrument, or ACI, in a no-deal scenario, a government official said on condition of anonymity. This tool would come into play only if a deal fails to materialize. Trump announced two tariff deals on Tuesday — one with the Philippines and another with Japan, and both featured across-the-board duties on their imports that were lower than initially threatened. Also noteworthy was the 15% US levy on Japanese autos that was lower than the current 25% rate on major car exporters including the EU. European leaders are in Tokyo on Wednesday and Beijing on Thursday for talks with some of the the bloc's biggest trading partners in Asia. The ACI is the 27-nation EU's most potent trade tool and a growing number of member states is pushing for its use if a deal isn't reached. The instrument is primarily designed as a deterrent and is currently not on the table, with its activation requiring a qualified majority of member states to support the move. The ACI would enable the EU to launch a broad range of retaliatory actions, including new taxes on US tech giants, targeted curbs on US investments, and limiting access to the EU market. 'We are now approaching the decisive phase in the tariff dispute with the USA. We need a fair, reliable agreement with low tariffs,' German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told reporters in Berlin on Tuesday after a meeting with his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala. 'Without such an agreement, we risk economic uncertainty at a time when we actually need exactly the opposite.' The Commission, the EU's executive arm, is discussing the instrument with member states, the people said. While some capitals having been pushing to use the tool, most want to wait to see how the situation develops beyond Aug. 1 before progressing discussions further to try to achieve the required majority, they added. The overwhelming preference is to keep negotiations with Washington on track in a bid for an outcome to the impasse ahead of next month's deadline. EU and US negotiators are scheduled to continue talks on Wednesday.
