CDU deputy says Germany committed to turning back asylum seekers
The deputy leader of Germany's conservative CDU/CSU parliamentary group said on Sunday that Germany will turn back asylum seekers at its land borders - even if that goes against the will of neighbouring countries.
The statement made by Jens Spahn of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) appears to contradict information released on Saturday that said the parties expecting to form Germany's new government would only turn back asylum seekers in coordination with its neighbours.
The CDU and its Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) concluded exploratory talks on Saturday with the Social Democrats (SPD) and that agreement on migration was announced then.
But Spahn, speaking on the podcast of the news portal Table.Briefings, said Germany's European partners will be informed and, in the best case scenario, the procedure will also be coordinated with them.
But "we are not making ourselves dependent on the agreement of the other countries."
Spahn noted that the agreement on migration "doesn't say agree but in coordination" with European partners.
"We see all the legal bases there to enforce it either way," he said.
Austria on Sunday made it clear that it rejects Germany's plans to turn back asylum seekers at the border - despite agreeing in principle to a more restrictive immigration policy. Austria will not accept such people, the Interior Ministry in Vienna told dpa.
The fact that for the first time since 2015 Germany should be allowed to reject asylum applications is at the the heart of migration reform.
Spahn said Germany's Social Democrats (SPD) have been very cooperative on this issue.
"We have a common interest in limiting migration."
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Miami Herald
2 hours ago
- Miami Herald
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4 hours ago
Reeling from Trump rebukes, Europe weighs deeper ties with China
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Newsweek
5 hours ago
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The Major Trump Question Left Unanswered at NATO Summit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. One big question was left unanswered at NATO's biggest summit of the year, and only America's delegation could answer it. But the U.S. did not discuss with its allies any plans to roll back the American troop presence in Europe, according to two European officials at The Hague gathering this week. The U.S. has indicated a strong desire to pull resources from the continent as it pivots toward the Indo-Pacific and contends with the fallout of its strikes on Iran over the weekend. But when and by how much remains a mystery. Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. ambassador to NATO, said last month "nothing has been determined" on the potential pullback of U.S. troops in Europe, but serious conversations would happen after the alliance's summit in the Netherlands. "We just need to work through the practical consequences," Whitaker said in May. There was "not a single word" from President Donald Trump or Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about U.S. troops in Europe at official meetings in The Hague on Tuesday and Wednesday, a European defense official told Newsweek. He and another official were granted anonymity to speak freely about the diplomatic discussions. U.S. troops, part of a NATO mission to enhance Poland's defense, are getting ready for an official welcoming ceremony in Orzysz, northeastern Poland, Thursday, April 13, 2017. U.S. troops, part of a NATO mission to enhance Poland's defense, are getting ready for an official welcoming ceremony in Orzysz, northeastern Poland, Thursday, April 13, 2017. AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski The silence on the future of U.S. troops in Europe was "intentional," and a decision to be taken by Washington alone despite strong European interest, the second official told Newsweek. European countries have relied heavily on the U.S. for decades, and the prospect of America moving the tens of thousands of troops currently on the continent elsewhere has been, for many, an unwelcome thought. The U.S. has major bases across Europe, providing some of the alliance's most expensive capabilities as well as a sending a strong signal of Washington's commitment to the defense of Europe in the face of Russia. The Pentagon is in the middle of a review of its global forces, which is expected to be finished in the late summer or early fall. Whitaker said ahead of the NATO summit that Washington would "work hand in glove" with other members of the alliance, including Canada, to make sure there are "no security gaps" if the U.S. moves its capabilities away. The process for withdrawing U.S. troops from Europe would likely be lengthy and expensive. It would cost European countries $1 trillion over the next 25 years to replace all of the capabilities and equipment the U.S. currently provides for the continent, according to an estimate from the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), published last month. On the U.S. side, it's not clear where many additional troops would be housed Even if European NATO members received no answers on U.S. troop presence, the gathering in The Hague appears to have placated Trump, who for months overtly criticized the rest of the alliance for failing to invest in defense. The President, who had in the past suggested he would encourage Russian attacks on NATO members he felt weren't paying enough, told the alliance's other members he is "with them all the way." NATO heads of state on Wednesday officially signed off on a new pledge to raise defense and related spending to 5 percent of GDP in the next decade. A 3.5 percent chunk of it will be for military capabilities, or "hard defense," while the remaining 1.5 percent will be funneled into defense-related infrastructure investment, from cyber capabilities to making sure strategic bridges can bear the weight of tanks and armored vehicles. Even a few months ago, agreement on U.S. calls for NATO members to spend 5 percent had seemed impossible, despite European officials admitting they had not been paying enough. Speaking at his highly anticipated press conference on Wednesday, Trump praised the "highly productive" summit while singling out Spain for a handful of pointed remarks. Spain's government has said it will be able to fulfill the new capability targets without reaching 3.5 percent of GDP on core defense spending. Fresh capability targets were agreed by defense ministers at the start of June. Rutte told journalists on Monday that the alliance was "absolutely convinced" Madrid could not meet these requirements without the extra spending. "They want to stay at 2 percent—I think it's terrible," Trump said. "I don't know what the problem is. I think it's too bad." Countries on NATO's eastern flank, close to Russia, have stormed ahead with steep hikes to defense spending, while western and southern Europe have lagged behind.
