Germany needs to re-evaluate its asylum laws - development minister of CSU conservatives

Record ID: 163271

  • Title: Germany needs to re-evaluate its asylum laws - development minister of CSU conservatives
  • Date: 6th January 2017
  • Summary: SEEON, GERMANY (JANUARY 6, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** MORNING FOG ABOVE LAKE IN BAVARIAN VILLAGE OF SEEON (pron.: SAY-on) WHERE GERMANY'S CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN SOCIAL UNION (CSU), THE CDU'S SISTER PARTY, HOLDS MEETINGS DUCKS IN WATER, TEMPERATURE AT MINUS 15 DEGREES CELSIUS (5 F) LAKE VARIOUS OF SEEON ABBEY WHERE CSU MEETING IS HELD GERD MUELLER, GERMAN DEVELOPMENT MINISTER, BEING INTERVIEWED SNOW-COVERED CSU LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEVELOPMENT MINISTER, GERD MUELLER, SAYING: "The population on the African continent will double by 2050. When we take our right to asylum as a basis and when we can't even agree in Germany that Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are safe countries of origin, then in theory, at least every other African has the right to asylum in Germany, should he decide to come here. This can't be the solution. We must promote self-initiative and private investments in Africa and we must create fair trade with these countries." CAMERA CSU LOGO (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN DEVELOPMENT MINISTER, GERD MUELLER, SAYING: "The terrorist (Anis) Amri (who carried out Berlin Christmas market attack) had 14 identities. Who can understand that? If we don't carry our driver's licence with us we pay a fine. Braunschweig's police special investigation unit discovered that hundreds of refugees register up to 12 identities with (German) welfare agencies to get their hands on benefits. If I project this to Germany as a whole it adds up to tens of thousands (of cases). That's unbearable and it is mean towards the many, many refugees who live here and are honest. That's why we need an investigation to determine identities, we need to take fingerprints and we need safety checks." PEOPLE WALKING IN SNOW VARIOUS OF TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT, GERMAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT NORBERT LAMMERT (CDU) AND CSU FLOOR LEADER GERDA HASSELFELDT SEATED VARIOUS OF MEETING VILLAGE OF SEEON SEEN IN DISTANCE ACROSS SNOW-COVERED FIELD
  • Embargoed: 21st January 2017 10:26
  • Keywords: Germany CSU Gerd Mueller development minister migrants Anis Amri Christmas market attack
  • Location: SEEON, GERMANY
  • City: SEEON, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015XXZ0W7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Germany must review its asylum laws after taking in record numbers of migrants, Development Minister Gerd Mueller said on Friday (January 6) on the sidelines of a meeting by his conservative CSU party.
    Speaking in the Bavarian village of Seeon (pron.: SAY-on), Mueller told reporters "the population on the African continent will double by 2050. When we take our right to asylum as a basis and when we can't even agree in Germany that Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria are safe countries of origin, then in theory, at least every other African has the right to asylum in Germany, should he decide to come here."
    "This can't be the solution," Mueller said. "We must promote self-initiative and private investments in Africa and we must create fair trade with these countries."
    Last November, Mueller urged other developed countries to support a plan Germany is finalising to bolster the economies of Africa, create jobs and slow the flow of migrants from the continent to Europe.
    Mueller at the time said Germany would in coming weeks release details of what he called a new "Marshall Plan with Africa" - drawing a direct parallel with the huge U.S. investment programme that kick-started the ravaged German economy after World War Two.
    Mueller also commented on the current debate about security lapses following the Berlin Christmas market attack last December.
    According to a regional police chief, the Tunisian man who killed 12 people by ploughing a truck into the market had lived under at least 14 different names in Germany.
    "Who can understand that?," asked Mueller.
    "Braunschweig's police special investigation unit discovered that hundreds of refugees register up to 12 identities with (German) welfare agencies to get their hands on benefits. If I project this to Germany as a whole it adds up to tens of thousands (of cases). That's unbearable and it is mean towards the many, many refugees who live here and are honest," said Mueller.
    He demanded "an investigation to determine identities, we need to take fingerprints and we need safety checks."
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