On Wednesday European lawmakers approved tougher migration rules, including a plan to allow authorities to deport rejected asylum seekers to ‘return hubs’ outside of the EU. Crucially, the law was passed via cooperation between the European People’s Party (EPP) and far-right groups – meaning that members of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) had voted in agreement with members of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). For Sabrina Repp, a Social Democrat (SPD) politician and Member of European Parliament representing Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt, the
vote shows that Germany’s conservative leaders have become the far-right’s biggest endorsers. “The conservatives are adopting far-right narratives and positioning themselves as the ones who are ensuring a majority for the far right,” Repp told The Local in an email. No ‘firewall’ in the EU In German politics, mainstream parties – including Merz’s CDU – generally maintain a ‘firewall’ (Brandmauer) against parties on the extremes of the political spectrum which prevents cooperation with the far-right. But at the EU level it appears German conservative leaders
are not concerned about maintaining the long-held political tradition. “Joint votes between right-wing and conservative MEPs at European level are unfortunately no longer a rarity,” Repp told The Local; citing the softening of the Supply Chain Act earlier this year, the tightening of asylum laws in March and “three votes in the past week alone.” In March, reporting by the German Press Agency revealed that MEPs from the conservative EPP parliamentary group had been in direct contact with leaders of the right-wing group (which includes
AfD members) to coordinate the passage of the tightened asylum rules. Merz then condemned the move, suggesting that responsibility lay with Manfred Weber, the leader of the EPP and also a high-ranking member of Germany’s Christian Social Union (CSU). “We do not work together with right-wing radicals in the European Parliament,” Merz had said. But a record of Wednesday’s vote reveals that members of the CDU/CSU and the AfD acted unanimously to beef up Europe’s deportation rules. READ ALSO: The CDU’s rightward shift on immigration
is costing the party votes Repp says that the official revelation that conservative and far-right leaders were cooperating came as a surprise to no one in parliament: “It only confirms what we have feared for a long time and find extremely dangerous.” ‘Adopting far-right narratives’ Since taking the lead of Germany’s federal government last year, Merz and top-level CDU leadership have called the AfD their “main opponent”. Yet the party has positioned itself markedly closer to the AfD on immigration issues, whilst watching their own
support dwindle. “What strategy Merz, Weber and company are currently pursuing – and how this is supposed to prevent the AfD from gaining strength – is a mystery to me,” said Repp. “By now their positions on migration policy, in particular, are virtually identical. “With every agreement, with every vote, [they] legitimise a party…whose members deny the Holocaust, trivialise Nazism, and stoke fears among the population.” She added, “The conservatives are adopting far-right narratives and positioning themselves as the ones who are securing a majority
for the far right.” READ ALSO: ‘Welcome culture to farewell culture’ – The AfD’s plans for Saxony-Anhalt ‘ICE-style’ checks and deportations The text approved by Wednesday’s vote enables nations to open “return hubs” outside the EU’s borders, where migrants with no right to stay could be sent. Germany, along with Denmark, Austria, Greece and the Netherlands have already been exploring options to set up external deportation centres. The idea is reminiscent of the the United States’ moves, under President Donald Trump, to deport large numbers
of detained immigrants to external prisons, such as the notorious CECOT facility in El Salvador. Besides return hubs, the new measures establish tighter rules for migrants who are not granted asylum or the right to stay in European countries. Those who do not voluntarily leave, or who are considered to be at risk of absconding, could be detained for up to two years. Alessandro Zan, also a member of the centre-left S&D group, called the reform “a dark chapter for Europe”. “It paves the way
for forced deportations, increasingly invasive Trump-era ICE-style checks, and the normalisation of detention even for people who committed no crime,” he said, referring to the heavy-handed practices used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the US. How to defeat the far-right Repp serves the German constituencies of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Saxony-Anhalt, both of which are states where the AfD sees an exceptionally high-level of voter support. Asked how she thinks the far-right can be defeated, she told The Local, “From my point of view, it
starts with being present on the ground and staying in touch with people… “I notice again and again that many people do not want further polarisation…politics that threatens fear and hatred. They want politicians who are approachable, who take responsibility and solve problems.” As for immigration, Repp says that a responsible policy “includes repatriating people without the right to stay, but must not be limited to this…” It also means making integration possible, she suggests, and helping people who need protection. “It’s about balancing order
and humanity…No one flees [their home] by choice. People flee from war, persecution, violence, hunger, or a lack of prospects,” Repp says. “A European migration policy based on solidarity must therefore be clear: firm where there is no right to remain, but humane and supportive toward those who seek protection here and want to build a future.”
Germany CDU AfD EU migration rules deportation hubs return hubs detention up to two years Sabrina Repp Merz EPP Manfred Weber ICE-style checks