German Chancellor Olaf Sholz stated in an interview with Der Spiegel magazine that they have classified Georgia and Moldova as safe countries of origin and mass deportation of those who do not have the right to asylum should be carried out.
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‘‘Both [countries] want to become members of the European Union, as such it isn’t plausible to assume systemic oppression in those countries.
We are strengthening the protection of Europe’s external borders so that fewer people are able to make their way to Europe.
And I haven’t even mentioned one important one yet: We must finally deport on a large scale those who have no right to stay in Germany. Those who are not likely to be granted permission to stay in Germany because they cannot claim a need for protection must go back. To make that possible, our public authorities must be reachable around the clock so that someone can actually be deported when the federal police take them into custody. We also must finally press ahead with the digitalization of the Immigration Office – the paper era must come to an end. Procedures must be accelerated, with asylum applications and initial interviews taking place in the initial reception facility. Court proceedings must also speed up. In some states, initial rulings in deportation cases come after four months, while in others, it takes 39 months. That is unacceptable. We have to deport people more often and faster’’, said Sholz.
In the interview, the German Chancellor also spoke about the new solidarity mechanism in the European Union: ‘‘Refugees are to be registered in their first country of entry instead of merely being waved through to Germany. In return, they will be fairly distributed throughout Europe. The European Parliament will hopefully approve this mechanism in the coming months’’.
According to Deutsche Welle, in the first six months of 2023, 7,861 people were deported from Germany, which is 27% more than in the same period last year. Most of the deportees, 705 people, are citizens of Georgia, followed by 665 citizens of North Macedonia and 659 citizens of Afghanistan.
The German federal government included Georgia and Moldova in the list of safe countries two months ago. According to German Interior Minister Nancy Fesser, granting safe status to countries will allow Germany to expel illegal migrants.
The decision was criticized by the refugee rights organization Pro Asyl. According to them, the German government ignores the fact that regions of Georgia and Moldova are occupied by Russia, there are problems in Georgia regarding the rule of law and the protection of the rights of LGBT+ people, and in Moldova, there are problems with the freedom of the press.
