Bavaria’s finance minister has recommended Germany send migrants home, as integrating such a large number of people from such foreign cultures is impossible.
Markus Söder said that rather than facilitating family reunions, politicians should push for the “return of several hundreds of thousands of refugees in the next three years.” In an interview with Spiegel, the Christian Social Union (CSU) minister noted that large areas of migrants countries of origin are safe and said that Germans don’t want a multicultural society.
The Christian Social Union (CSU) minister told the news magazine: “Even with the best intentions, it will not work to integrate successfully that many people from a completely foreign culture.
“Germans do not want a multicultural society. Anyone who wants to live here must adapt to our values and not vice-versa”, Mr Söder added.
The CSU politician noted that many areas in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq are now recognised as being safe, and highlighted that German laws state asylum seekers should be returned to their home countries, if their grounds for seeking asylum no longer apply.
The minister said: “The civil war in Syria will also end sometime soon.
“The Asylum Procedure Law stipulates that people return to their home when they no longer have reason to flee.”
Mr Söder contended that Germany must prioritise returning migrants who no longer have a right to asylum, over enabling family reunification.
The minister said migrants pose a security threat, and called for the protection of German citizens to be given priority.
Criticising Chancellor Merkel’s response to terrorism on German soil, Mr Söder said: “I think the citizens would have preferred a different message after the attacks”
In July, after Germany was struck by four dramatic attacks in one week, the minister branded Merkel’s decision to open the borders a “historic mistake”.
Mr Söder argued that the Chancellor’s oft-quoted “we can do it” rhetoric on migrants sends the wrong message. Declaring German society “under attack”, the CSU minister said:“The best protection against terrorism is to have no terrorists in the country. Therefore, the immigration must be reduced.”
More than a million migrants entered Germany in 2015 and authorities say they are expecting 300,000 to arrive this year. Politicians last month admitted that the influx is set to cost taxpayers more than €30 billion a year.