Panel: Recent asylum policies in Germany and other European countries

Abstract

At the end of 2021, the newly elected German government announced a political liberalisation programme in asylum and migration policy. The coalition agreement speaks of a "new beginning" and a "paradigm shift". With this in mind, a number of rather liberal legislative proposals from the coalition agreement were initially adopted (including the right to residency opportunities, further development of the Skilled Labour Immigration Act) or are on their way (citizenship). Other announced measures, such as family reunification, have not yet been implemented. Triggered by rising numbers of protection-seekers from Ukraine and other countries, the political debate has become highly polarised since the late summer of 2022. Reception and integration systems are under severe pressure. Within all political parties, the right course in migration, asylum and integration policy became the subject of fierce debates. Increasingly restrictive political measures are being discussed and implemented, not least as a supposed response to the right-wing AfD's recent electoral successes. Limiting "irregular immigration" has been prioritised and new border controls have been introduced. Repatriations are to be further facilitated and social benefits reduced. Humanitarian admission programmes are coming under pressure. The panel is open to contributions that analyse recent asylum policy (i.e. since 2021) in Germany and/or other European countries. Contributions can also take a comparative perspective. The aim of the panel is both to describe and analyse the changes and to discuss the relevant factors or mechanisms of change. Possible dimensions of analysis of asylum policy include restrictive vs. liberal; selective vs. universal; temporary vs. permanent.

in-person event