Saxony's interior minister outraged by footage from Afghanistan

Saxony's Interior Minister Armin Schuster has reacted with indignation to the announcement of further charter flights from Afghanistan to Germany for people in danger. "Political decency requires a caretaker federal government to exercise restraint and not intensify what the new federal government is known not to stand for," the CDU politician told the German Press Agency. The fact that Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) wanted to "pull off" such far-reaching and "massively polarizing actions in a row" at virtually the last second before her departure was "really infamous and completely stubborn".

Several flights before chancellor election in May

According to a spokesperson for the ministry, a total of three flights for Afghans from Pakistan to Germany are planned this month: next Wednesday and on April 23 and 29. Former local staff of German institutions in Afghanistan as well as particularly vulnerable people, such as human rights lawyers or women's rights activists, are to be brought to Germany by plane.

On March 10, a spokeswoman for the Federal Foreign Office announced that around 2,800 people from Afghanistan had been promised admission to Germany. In the view of the Federal Government, the promises already made are legally valid. At the end of March, a plane carrying 174 Afghans who had been promised admission to Germany landed in Hanover. The coalition agreement between the CDU, CSU and SPD states: "We will end voluntary federal admission programs as far as possible (for example Afghanistan) and not set up any new programs."

"The admission programs may only bring in a few people in absolute numbers," said Schuster. However, after more than ten years of an almost uncontrolled migration policy, these people are arriving in cities and municipalities that are already completely overwhelmed in terms of funding and accommodation. Successful integration has long been out of the question. The large number of relatives arriving with people identified as being in need of protection also makes it clear that this program has gotten out of hand.

Schuster: take better care of deportations

Schuster, who was involved in the black-red coalition negotiations on behalf of his party, criticized that the Federal Foreign Office under the leadership of Baerbock had "apparently used the few and complicated diplomatic opportunities with the Taliban exclusively to bring tens of thousands of people to Germany, instead of making an effort to repatriate people who have forfeited any right to stay as multiple and serious offenders or blatant Islamists".