Kühnert pointed out that 25 percent of people living in Germany have an immigration history. Many of these people are “deeply unsettled by debates that are led not only by right-wing radicals but also by conservatives.” Kühnert also emphatically opposed the criminalization of civilian sea rescue. “These are not smuggling gangs,” he clarified.
The party conference discussed an initiative motion that calls for humanity in dealing with refugees, but also acknowledges the necessity of deportations. It is emphasized that it is important to “control and order” migration. The immigration society in Germany wants to strengthen the SPD because diversity is “a benefit for our country.”
“It was an important step that, after years of dispute, the member states of the European Union agreed on a position for a common European asylum system,” says the application behind the relevant plans at the European level. According to the SPD, minors traveling alone and other groups such as families with children should be excluded from the planned asylum procedure at the EU’s external borders.
The Social Democrats want to make family reunification with people with limited so-called subsidiary protection status possible again. Humanitarian visas and special admission programs for humanitarian reasons should continue to exist.
“However, if no identifiable reason for flight can be proven after all procedures, part of a constitutional procedure is to ensure that the person in question leaves the country again,” the text also says. This is “necessary to ensure a high level of acceptance of the right to asylum among the population.”
The need for immigration of skilled workers and workers is generally emphasized. “We are aggressively competing with other economies for bright minds and experienced hands,” the application states. A “modern and cosmopolitan immigration law” has been created for this purpose.
