The leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic party (CDU), Friedrich Merz, received criticism yesterday after his party set forth a proposal to limit migration into the country with the support of the hard right Alternative of Deutschland (AfD) party.
Merz’s party introduced several motions and a draft bill to parliament to modify the country’s immigration and asylum laws in the run up to the forthcoming elections to be held on the 23rd of Feb next.
The two non-binding motions call for heightened security measures and the closure of German land borders to irregular migration in the wake of a series of fatal stabbings across the country where the suspects are migrants.
Last week, a two-year-old boy was stabbed to death in a Bavarian park alongside a 41-year-old man when a group of children were attacked just before midday.
The proposal passed receiving 348 to 345 in favour of the proposal where 75 votes from AfD party members were accepted by the CDU in order to win the motion in a move that has ended a long standing accord of non-cooperation with hardline parties.
The CDU had long held a policy of non-cooperation with the AfD which has been the subject of the political ‘firewall’ of non-cooperation with political entities which have been deemed far-right.
Reacting to the move, Social Democrat Chancellor Olaf Scholz, criticized his political rival saying the Christian Democrats have broken the longstanding principle in German politics.
“This day will certainly be described by some as historic. For the first time in the German parliament, a motion has been passed with a majority that was ensured by the AfD. This is a bad sign. For the parliament. And also for our country,“ he said.
As outrage was expressed by the country’s Green party, parliamentary group co-chair Katharina Droege said, “You see us shaken today. From our point of view, this is a turning point, a profound break for the German Bundestag, our parliament — and a black day for our democracy,”.
AfD leader Alice Weidel hailed the decision on social media calling it “a historic day for Germany.”
Last September Germany announced a tightening of its border control in the wake of a fatal stabbing in Solingen.
Two men and a woman were killed at a festival celebrating diversity where a failed asylum seekers that was to be deported allegedly went on a throat cutting spree.
The accused is a Syrian national with the Islamic State terror group claiming responsibility for the attack.
As Gript previously reported, Berlin police chief Barbara Slowik said that individuals with migrant backgrounds are “overrepresented” in violent crime statistics including knife crime.
Speaking to NTV News, Slowik said that,“In recent years we have definitely seen an increase in Berlin, especially among children, young people and adolescents. So the knife criminals are getting younger.”
During the interview in which she was asked about security measures put in place surrounding the European football championships Slowik explained how German crime statistics distinguish between German and non-German crime suspects.
“The police crime statistics make a distinction between German and non-German suspects. And in recent years we have seen an increase in violent crime overall, as well as in non-German criminals in the capital. Non-Germans are overrepresented. To put it bluntly: According to our figures, the violence in Berlin is young, male and has a non-German background. This also applies to knife violence.” she said.
The AfD is expected to win significant gains in the upcoming elections as public attitudes towards the effects of Germany’s migration policies harden.
