World Immigration News

Germany's parliament narrowly rejects immigration law amid controversy over far-right support

Release Date: 2025-01-31
Media: France 24
Summary: The German parliament narrowly rejected an opposition-sponsored bill on Friday that aimed to impose stricter migration rules, which could have been supported by the far-right party, Alternative for Germany (AfD). This raised concerns about the attitude of Friedrich Merz, the leader of the opposition Union bloc, toward the far-right as he has focused his election campaign on tougher migration policies following a deadly attack by a rejected asylum seeker.

Merz's position has led to accusations that he is weakening the mainstream parties' resistance to the far-right, though he insists he will not cooperate with AfD. A motion he introduced earlier this week, supported by AfD, called for stricter border controls, drawing criticism from former Chancellor Angela Merkel and others.

The bill, which included measures such as halting family reunifications for certain migrants and expanding deportation powers, was narrowly defeated by 350 votes to 338, with some lawmakers cheering the result. This defeat highlighted the growing divide between Merz's center-right bloc and the center-left governing parties, which are behind in the polls.

Merz's strategy is to position the Union as decisive on migration, aiming to diminish AfD's appeal while portraying the governing parties as out of touch. However, it remains uncertain whether this approach will succeed, with the election set for February 23.
Tags: GERMANY

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