What are Germany's leading political parties' immigration and citizenship plans?
The election campaign in Germany has been especially tense as of late.
After police arrested an Afghan man following a deadly knife attack in the Bavarian city of Aschaffenburg last month - the latest in a series of similar attacks - immigration rules and security have been in the spotlight.
Tensions came to a head last Wednesday when the centre-right Christian Democrats (CDU) and its Bavarian sister party, the CSU, passed a motion clamping down on asylum policy with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Although a second motion that referenced changes to citizenship law failed - and a draft law on migration policy also did not receive enough support to pass the Bundestag on Friday - many people in Germany are wondering what the future may hold when it comes to these policies.
With the nationwide vote coming up on February 23rd, here's a guide on the stances of various parties on immigration and citizenship.
CDU/CSU
The CDU/CSU is the frontrunner in election polls with around 30 percent of the vote. As things stand, the conservative bloc, led by chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz, is expected to lead Germany's next coalition government, possibly teaming up with the Social Democrats (SPD) or Greens.
As The Local has been reporting, the conservatives are pushing for a "fundamental shift" in migration policy, with the aim of "stopping illegal migration".
Among the pledges are permanent border controls, rejections of asylum seekers at borders, more deportations and detention pending deportation.
On Monday, the CDU unveiled a new action plan, explaining that it wants to push through various measures regarding security, immigration and the economy "immediately" after coming to power.
The leader and top candidate for chancellor of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Friedrich Merz acknowledges the applause after his speech during the CDU Party Congress at the City Cube event location in Berlin, on February 3, 2025. (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)
When it comes to citizenship, the CDU/CSU is also taking a hard stance. The Union mentioned the topic of naturalisation five times in their election manifesto - mostly to take aim at the previous 'traffic light' coalition government's dual nationality law.
In a section on integration and cohesion, the parties promise to end the general right to hold multiple nationalities once they re-enter government. They would like to see a return to the days of dual nationality only for EU citizens - or in exceptional circumstances.
They also want to get rid of the fast-track route for citizenship, which allows applicants to apply after three years in cases of exceptional integration and C1 level German.
The Union has also spoken about instead of five years.
Meanwhile, Merz has been pushing to be able to
However, the party will need support from its coalition partner - and others in the Bundestag - to make these changes.
Social Democrats (SPD)
The SPD, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, outlines in its election manifesto that it has ensured more skilled migration to the labour market and better control of refugee migration in its years leading the traffic light coalition that included the Greens and Free Democrats (FDP).
The party emphasises European coordination, advocating for common humanitarian standards for refugees and migration managed in solidarity. It also refers to the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), due to come into force in 2026.
The SPD rejects "border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders". The government has put in place temporary controls, which it says should remain "the absolute exception".
The SPD promises to speed up asylum procedures and maintain family reunification.
When it comes to the obligation for rejected asylum seekers to leave the country, the SPD favours a voluntary approach. For those who refuse, the party envisages "swift and consistent deportations, especially for offenders".
Chancellor Olaf Scholz surrounded by his SPD party's co-leaders Lars Klingbeil and Saskia Esken as well as SPD parliamentary managing director Katja Mast and Rolf Muetzenich. (Photo by Odd ANDERSEN / AFP)
Meanwhile, the Social Democrats specifically mention citizenship reform in its manifesto as an achievement it's proud of, and condemns the CDU for wanting to repeal it.
The SPD manifesto vows to increase funding for integration courses, and recommits itself to its own skilled immigration law, arguing that Germany needs more talent from abroad to handle its demographic pressures.
Greens
Robert Habeck, the Greens chancellor candidate, unveiled this week a new 10-point plan for security and migration following the conservatives' push for tougher asylum rules.
It includes some tightening up of migration rules, but Habeck wants a policy "that does not fuel resentment and respects fundamental rights".
In the wake of recent attacks, such as that in Aschaffenburg where the suspect is said to have been mentally disturbed, Habeck wants initial medical examinations of asylum seekers to take mental health into account.
The Greens also want to see federal and state security authorities exchanging information more regularly, and EU collaboration on asylum policy.
The party is in favour of deportations of serious criminals. In the Green manifesto, it adds that asylum seekers who have exhausted all legal paths, and if there no obstacles to deportation, "must leave the country quickly".
The Greens say they also want to combat the causes of people having to flee their homes in the first place with "forward-looking diplomacy, and adequately funded humanitarian aid in crisis situations".
But ultimately, they are in favour of Germany continuing to provide protection to people fleeing and want "fast and fair procedures" to "create clarity for those affected and for local authorities".
Germany's Green Party's main chancellor and Economics Minister Robert Habeck and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. (Photo by Tobias Schwarz / AFP)
Like the SPD, the Greens are proud of the citizenship reform and skilled worker immigration laws they helped bring in.
"With the introduction of a modern citizenship law, we have finally recognised the reality of our diverse society, their manifesto says.
The Greens pledge to cut down on bureaucracy to "ensure that the best skilled workers can and want to come to us easily - with simplified immigration procedures".
AfD
The anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is second in the polls after the CDU but is unlikely to get into government because of the 'firewall' mainstream parties have against working with the far right in Germany.
But its worth keeping an eye on their policies and proposals, especially as they would heavily affect foreign nationals.
The AfD wants to tighten migration policy and end "uncontrolled immigration by the millions". The party is calling for permanent controls and rejections at the border, and says anyone travelling from a safe third country should not be allowed to apply for asylum in Germany.
The AfD wants to deport people without the right to stay in Germany. It details a "comprehensive repatriation offensive" - even adding the controversial word "remigration" to their party programme. This is understood to refer to the mass "return" or deportation of certain migrants - including people with a migration background - and can also in some circles refer to the deportation of "non-assimilated citizens".
AfD supporters hold up placards reading "Alice my chancellor", as police officers secure the area around the Hugenottenhalle where an AfD campaign meeting was planned on February 1st in Neu-Isenburg. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
The AfD says it wants to "immediately" deport "foreign criminals, extremists and serious criminals" to their countries of origin or to third countries willing to accept them.
"Detention and custody centres" would be expanded near borders and at airports, the party envisages.
The AfD's migration policy was also tightened in other areas at a recent party conference. An earlier passage stating that recognised asylum seekers should receive a permanent right to stay in Germany after 10 years has been deleted.
A statement saying the AfD welcomes the admission of European labour as part of the EU's free movement of workers was also deleted.
The AfD is said to be in favour of the "qualified immigration" of skilled workers from professional fields in which there is a shortage in Germany, but wants to tie this to strict criteria.
What about other parties?
The Free Democrats (FDP) are in favour of a tighter migration policy - they voted along with the AfD for the Union's motion last week. They are also in favour of making skilled immigration into the labour market easier, including for "non-academic skilled workers".
The Left party's (Die Linke) guiding principle is for an immigration society that enables migrants to arrive safely. It is in favour of refugees being allowed to work as soon as they get to Germany and the party rejects deportations, including of offenders.
The hard left/conservative Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) is calling for an end to "uncontrolled migration" and wants to see refugees into the job market quickly.
It isn't clear at this stage whether these parties will clear the five percent hurdle to fully enter the Bundestag.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
24 minutes ago
- DW
The world is full of unexploded bombs – DW – 06/04/2025
Three bombs dating back to World War II were defused in Cologne this week. Evacuations to allow ordnance disposal experts to defuse bombs are a frequent occurrence in Germany, as well as all over the world. Fifteen couples had been looking forward to the special moment when they would say "I do" for weeks. But their weddings at Cologne's historic town hall on June 4 were cancelled, since the building was right in the middle of an evacuation zone. But they were still able to get married, in a district town hall instead. Three bombs left over from World War II were responsible for the massive evacuation, the biggest since 1945. They were found during preparations for construction work on the city's Deutz Bridge. The US-made bombs — one 100-pound (45-kilogram) and two 200-pound bombs — both had impact fuses and could not be moved for safety reasons. They had to be defused on site, and thus it was necessary to evacuate several districts of the city in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany. Thousands evacuated Around 20,500 people had to leave their homes on Wednesday. Hospitals and retirement homes were evacuated, with people being moved to other facilities. Almost 60 hotels shut down, with guests being accommodated elsewhere. Bomb disposal is a mammoth logistical task, but Germany is very familiar with it. More than 1,600 bombs were defused last year in North Rhine-Westphalia alone. As construction work increases in the city, for example to put in new fiber optic cables, renovate bridges or improve the road network, excavations are bringing to light unexploded aerial ordnance that dates back to the 1930s and '40s. Major problem in Hamburg, Verdun, Poland Metropolitan regions such as Hamburg and Berlin were some of the main targets of Allied bombing during World War II. These places also saw civilian infrastructure targeted and so are particularly affected. In addition to the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg is heavily contaminated. In 2024, explosive ordnance clearers found 90 mines, 48,000 grenades, 500 firebombs and 450 bombs weighing more than 11 pounds, as well as around 330,000 shells. The problem is also omnipresent in many neighboring countries. Unexploded ordnance from the two world wars is often found in France and Belgium, and particularly from World War I in the regions of Verdun and the Somme. Three years ago, the drought in Italy's Po Valley revealed unexploded bombs. In the UK in 2021, a German 2,200-pound aerial bomb was detonated in a controlled explosion in the southwestern city of Exeter and more than 250 buildings were damaged. The situation in Poland and the Czech Republic, where there are tons of unexploded ordnance from the two world wars in the ground, is also critical. In 2020, a 5-ton British-made Tallboy bomb was defused in the northwestern Polish town of Swinoujscie. Recently, there have even been fatal accidents in the Czech Republic. And in the Balkans, lives are in danger from unexploded ordnance that dates back to the wars of the 1990s and evacuations are a frequent occurrence. Deadly hazards in Vietnam, Laos, Gaza On the world's other continents, the situation is also critical. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, people continue to be killed by US-made cluster bombs that were used in the 1960s and '70s. According to the UN, 80 million unexploded ordnances remain in the ground in Laos, from 500,000 US attacks conducted covertly between 1964 and 1973. There are also tons of unexploded ordnance in Syria and Iraq, where masses of people are at risk of being killed or wounded. In neither country have ordnance disposal structures been developed sufficiently. The UN says that unexploded ordnance in the war-torn Palestinian territory of Gaza has already left behind deadly hazards, even as Israel continues to bomb the strip. Cluster bombs remain a deadly hazard in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Image: Sebastian Bozada/dpa/picture alliance A quarter of Ukraine contaminated The situation in Ukraine is dramatic. Since Russia's full-scale invasion of 2022, about a quarter of the country is thought to be contaminated with mines, cluster bombs and other explosive devices. Over half a million explosive devices have already been defused, but millions more remain. The humanitarian and economic consequences are enormous: hundreds of civilians have died, large areas of agricultural land are unusable, and crop failures are exacerbating the economic crisis. When the war ends, demining will be one of the tasks of the coming years. The munition searchers combing North Sea sands for WWII duds , To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video German federal states bear brunt of costs In Germany, where most of the bombs that are defused are from World War II and were made by the Allies, it is the federal states that bear the majority of the costs of their disposal. It is the German state that is responsible for German-made bombs going back to the era of the German Reich (1871 – 1945). Attempts to make it responsible for all the unexploded bombs in Germany have so far been unsuccessful. Last year, explosive ordnance disposal cost North Rhine-Westphalia €20 million ($23 million). While the costs rise, the technology used for bomb disposal has evolved. While in the 1990s, clearers still used their own hands, hammers, chisels and water pump pliers, today abrasive waterjet cutting is used to neutralize explosive devices. A waterjet cutter that is operated at a safe distance can cut through the explosive device and remove its fuse. Experts believe that there are tens of thousands of unexploded explosive devices, weighing up to 100,000 tons, in Germany alone. Cologne residents were forced to leave their homes in the biggest evacuation of the city since 1945 Image: Björn Kietzmann/DW Even though modern probing and detection techniques and digitized aerial photographs can help to minimize the risk, every bomb disposal operation is a race against time. The older a bomb is, the greater the risk of corrosion and explosion. It is also more difficult to defuse an older bomb because of the chemical changes that occur over time inside the bomb itself, between the casing and the fuse. The defusing of the three bombs in Cologne is not just an operation that has disrupted weddings and people's daily routines but it bears witness once again to the destruction of war, whether in Germany or France, Vietnam or Laos, Syria, Ukraine or Gaza. This article was translated from German.
DW
2 hours ago
- DW
Germany: Cologne evacuation lifted after WWII bombs defused – DW – 06/04/2025
Buildings across the center of the western city of Cologne were evacuated after the discovery of three WWII bombs. Some 20,000 people had been under evacuation orders. Large areas of the city center of Cologne were closed off on Wednesday as experts defused three bombs left over from World War II, which ended 80 years ago. The evacuation operation in Cologne, which has seen plenty of them over the years, was one of the largest to ever be carried out in the city since World War II, with some 20,000 people ordered to leave the affected area. What do we know about the evacuation? The process of defusing the bombs had to be delayed at one point because of a resident refusing to evacuate, according to a city spokesperson. An individual living in the old town resisted orders to leave their apartment, with public order officials, police, and the fire department enforcing removal measures. Kai Kulschewski, head of explosive ordnance disposal in the nearby city of Düsseldorf, who is coordinating the disposal, had earlier said everything was going to plan. He had added that the defusing operation had yet to begin as of the afternoon because not everyone had been evacuated yet. "We can only start when the last person is out," he said. Several roads have been closed off ahead of the operation Image: Thomas Banneyer/dpa/picture alliance Hotels, care homes evacuated The evacuated area included the entire old part of the city, 58 hotels, three Rhine bridges, the town hall, the railway station in the district of Deutz, which lies across the Rhine from the city center, museums, a hospital and two care homes. The city's major landmark, the Cologne Cathedral, was, however, situated just outside the danger area. Germany's national rail operator, Deutsche Bahn, had warned that many trains will be diverted or even canceled, and road traffic has was severely disrupted. The weapons — two 200-pound (90-kilogram) bombs and one 100-pound bomb, all manufactured in the US — were discovered in Deutz on Monday. Security personnel are out in force for the operation Image: Thomas Banneyer/dpa/picture alliance In a statement on its website, the City of Cologne said, "The evacuation is the largest such measure since the end of World War II. Everyone involved hopes that the defusal can be completed in the course of Wednesday." Bomb defusals are nothing new in Cologne, as it was one of the major bombing targets for Allied forces during the Second World War. Among other attacks, the British Royal Air Force targeted Cologne with its first "thousand-bomber raid" on a German city overnight to May 31, 1942, dropping 1,455 tons of bombs and destroying or damaging thousands of buildings. Edited by: Elizabeth Schumacher, Wesley Rahn
DW
3 hours ago
- DW
Germany updates: Merz set for inaugural trip to US – DW – 06/04/2025
06/04/2025 June 4, 2025 Germany seeking easier process to declare countries safe in asylum curbs The German government is looking at a simpler process when it comes to declaring countries of origin as safe, under a push by the new conservative-led coalition to reduce the number of asylum seekers. Chancellor Merz's Cabinet approved a draft policy in which a country can be declared safe with a simple statutory order and where the consent of the Bundesrat (Germany's upper house of parliament) is no longer needed. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the move was part of a whole package of "national measures (...) to implement the asylum turnaround." Under German asylum law, "safe countries of origin" are seen as those where people are not subject to political persecution or inhuman punishment. Migrants seeking asylum from these countries are likely to have asylum applications rejected, apart from exceptional cases. Deportations back to safe countries will also face fewer legal obstacles. Opposition lawmakers from the Green party have criticized the draft as contrary to German law, as have asylum and immigration NGOs. The reform still needs to be approved by the lower house of parliament, the Bundestag. The announcement comes just days after a court declared the government's tightened border security, including the turning back of asylum seekers, to be illegal under German law.
