Following a tragic incident in Aschaffenburg, the Green Party in Germany is doubling down on its stance on immigration. With just weeks to go before national elections, the party is calling for easier family reunification for migrants.
This comes amid growing public skepticism about immigration, especially after the recent attack targeting children. The Green Party’s new manifesto is clear in its push to allow migrants to bring their families to Germany, seeing it as a key part of successful integration.
Annalena Baerbock, the Green Party’s Foreign Minister, strongly opposed CDU chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz’s proposal to tighten border security. Baerbock argued that Merz’s plans would “break European law and build a fence around Germany.” She further warned, “If we start doing that, Europe will be destroyed,” adding that the CDU’s approach would lead to “completely sealing off Germany.”
This remark came soon after the Greens advocated for easing family reunification measures to help with migrant integration. Their policies stand in stark contrast to the CDU, which has increasingly opposed immigration to fend off the rising Alternative for Germany (AfD), now polling at 21 percent. While the CDU calls for closing the border to all refugees, the Greens argue that asylum claims should be considered on an individual basis. The Green Party’s manifesto states, “not everyone who comes to Germany can stay,” but stresses that “voluntary return is our priority.”
Additionally, unlike the CDU, the Greens reject outsourcing asylum procedures to third countries. They believe these decisions should remain within Europe, directly challenging proposals like Merz’s, which echoes the failed Rwanda scheme championed by British Conservatives. “We oppose the outsourcing of asylum procedures to third countries,” reads the Green Party’s manifesto.
The Greens also reaffirmed their support for sea rescue operations, which are often funded by both the German government and Christian charities based in Germany.
Once considered likely partners in a coalition, the Greens and CDU seem to be drifting further apart, particularly on immigration. The CDU’s sister party, the Christian Socialist Union (CSU), has outright rejected any coalition with the CDU. This leaves the SPD as the most likely partner for the CDU, though the changing dynamics, including the potential rise of the FDP and BSW in the election, may make such a coalition unlikely.
