Migration pressure is growing. German local government officials complain about the authorities in Berlin
German local government officials complain that they are left to their own devices to fight illegal migration, and the federal government does not support them, Interia reports.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Wednesday that Germany “wants to introduce temporary border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic.”
Controls on the Polish-German border
– We are in close contact with our partners from Poland and the Czech Republic so that both sides can work out cooperation through flexible and mobile inspections in various places – Faeser said at a press conference, and her statement was quoted by TVN24.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs emphasized that the German authorities “want to prevent smuggling activities and at the same time ensure that the controls have the least possible impact on border traffic.”
Germany is under increasing migration pressure. According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, over 204,000 were registered by the end of August. asylum applications, i.e. by 77%. more than in the same period a year ago. The office reported that from January 2021 to May 2023, 1,230 people who submitted an asylum application in Germany had a visa issued by the Polish authorities.
German local government officials complain about the authorities in Berlin
According to Interia, German local government officials complain that they have to deal with the crisis on their own and have no support from the authorities in Berlin. The mayor of Görlitz, neighboring Zgorzelec, Octavian Ursu, told the portal that “it falls on his shoulders to accept refugees, arrange housing for them, and even integrate them.”
The mayor said that for months there has been an increase in illegal migration. He also expressed concern about the fact that “behind all this are entire smuggling mafias that transport and abandon these people.” According to him, an ad hoc solution is to introduce controls up to 30 km from the border.
“Load limit reached”
In turn, CSU secretary general Martin Hube told Interia that “mayors and mayors from all parties and all factions clearly indicate that the load limit has been reached.” As he pointed out, there is a shortage of housing for refugees and immigrants, and in turn, residents are starting to complain that they have no chance of getting public housing because these are provided to migrants.
