Germany’s Scholz faces pressure to curb migration as he meets state governors

By AP 6 November 2023, 11:20 am

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A federal police officer speaks into his radio as he and a colleague track down a group of migrants who have illegally crossed the border from Poland into Germany, while on patrol in a forest near Forst, southeast of Berlin, Germany, on October 11, 2023. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to meet Germany’s 16 state governors today to address ways to deal with large numbers of migrants, an issue that has become a huge political problem for the government.

Shelters for migrants and refugees are filling up and Scholz, who faces enormous pressure from the opposition and elsewhere to halt that trend, has said that “too many are coming.” The country also has seen more than 1 million Ukrainians arrive since the start of Russia’s war in their homeland.

Over recent weeks, there has been a flurry of government activity, including legislation to ease deportations of unsuccessful asylum-seekers, to stiffen punishment for smugglers and to allow asylum-seekers to start working sooner, and the introduction of temporary checks on the Polish, Czech and Swiss borders.

The center-left Scholz also has discussed the issue twice with the conservative opposition leader since state elections last month brought poor results for his quarrelsome three-party coalition and gains for a far-right party.