German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is under mounting pressure to address the migration crisis, as North Rhine-Westphalia’s premier, Hendrik Wüst, demands concrete proposals ahead of a crucial meeting with the premiers of Germany’s 16 states next week.
Wüst’s call to action follows notable gains by anti-migration parties, including the Alternative for Germany (AfD), in the recent European elections. The election results saw Scholz’s centre-left coalition parties collectively securing less than a third of the vote, highlighting growing voter dissatisfaction.
“We must halt irregular migration,” Wüst stated in Dusseldorf, pushing for the expedited processing of asylum applications outside the European Union. He expects the June 20 ministers’ conference to present expert reports stemming from federal-state discussions. “A clear stance from the federal government is essential,” he emphasized.
The federal government is responsible for setting asylum policies, while state and local authorities manage accommodation and services, complicating the issue. Public anxiety has been exacerbated by a recent fatal knife attack by an Afghan migrant on a German police officer, igniting a heated debate within Scholz’s coalition about the safety of deporting rejected asylum seekers to Afghanistan.
As parliamentary elections approach next autumn, migration remains a key issue. Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD) is significantly trailing the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in the polls. Wüst, leading Germany’s most populous state, is considered a potential CDU candidate for chancellor.
