Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday authorised a Turkish demand for a German TV comedian to be prosecuted over a crude satirical poem about President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a bitter row over free speech.
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He was referring to postwar Germany’s programme to invite Turks and other “guest workers” to fuel its economic miracle which was criticised for failing to provide millions of immigrants and their descendents a stake in German society and a path to citizenship.
The measures, which will be discussed with state governors before they’re presented to Parliament, seek to strike a balance between giving migrants easier access to jobs and integration courses while also increasing expectations of them. The General secretary of the party Andreas Scheuer has said that he wants to see an end to Imams and Islamic religious leaders who come from overseas or who are funded by states like Turkey or Saudi Arabia.
The Turkish community in Germany group (TGD) was quick to slam the idea saying, “this misanthropic, unconstitutional, absurd proposal the CSU is doing may possibly impress AfD voters and far-right parties, but the CSU does democracy a disservice”, reports Junge Freiheit.
Under the coalition government’s measures, announced on Thursday morning, asylum seekers face cuts to support if they reject mandatory integration measures such as language classes or lessons in German laws or cultural basics. Those job safeguards will now be suspended for three years.
Since then, the influx of migrants, many from Syria and other war-torn parts of the Middle East and Africa, has reduced and the pressure has eased.
The measures include granting more powers to law enforcement to deploy undercover agents, as well as empowering Germany’s intelligence agencies to exchange information with foreign partners under clear conditions.
Last month, German authorities stepped up security measures at airports, train stations and the country’s borders with Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
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SPD chairman Sigmar Gabriel said the new law does not intend assimilation but aims at having migrants well-integrated into Germany.
