Federal Ministry of Interior, Building and Home (Bundesministerium des Inneren, für Bau und Heimat)
Stephan Mayer, MP
Parliamentary Undersecretary
To all Members of the CDU/CSU-Caucus in the German Bundestag (Parliament)
Berlin, October 18, 2018
Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Colleagues,
on the occasion of the current discussion in our group on the Global Migration Pact (GCM) I would like to inform you about the current state of the negotiations.
In the future, the GCM is to form a - not legally binding - political basis "`for a globally controlled and secure migration"'. It is supposed to form the basis for a globally better regulated and secure migration and the foundation for comprehensive international cooperation. A UN Summit for the adoption of the GCM is planned on December 10,-11, 2018 in Marrakech/Morocco.
The negotiations for the GCM were always the subject of political discussions. Thus the US left the GCM development in 2017. Poland has also made critical statements in the past (most recently a few days ago) but - currently - is still part of the GCM process and has always been active and cooperative at work level.
The Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtige Amt) has been in charge of the negotiations for Germany. From a political or migration policy point of view and despite discussions about the GCM it was important to us that the following German priority principles were anchored in the GCM:
- preservation of national sovereignty in border and security matters including possible criminal liability for illegal entry;
- clear separation between legal and illegal migration;
- demand for already well-managed legal migration without the postulate of an expansion of immigration opportunities;
- recommendations to "`regularize"' (legalize) the status of migrants who are irregular (in GER: illegal) in the countries of destination of migration at best on a case-by-case basis in the public interest in particular for integration;
- reaffirming the importance of return and cleaning policy as a consequence of the international readmission obligation towards own nationals.
From the point of view of the federal government that text is a solid and substantial compromise. The UN member states commit themselves in the GCM to the implementation of 23 goals and to increased international cooperation. In order to implement this the role of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been sustainably strengthened and the establishment of a United Nations Migration Network ("`UN Network on Migration"') agreed. Thus the GCM represents an important step towards global cooperation in migration matters. Therefore the Federal Government supports the signing of the GCM in the framework of the summit conference in December.
The petition "`Migrant Pact Stopping"' (Migrationspakt-Stoppen) referred to by some colleagues calls for the GCM not to be signed. It threatens the "`the destruction of the western welfare states"'. Accompanying this "`Leaflets"' of the participating politicians are distributed. I would like to point out the following: This petition is characterized by a polemic and unobjective rhetoric. Targeted disinformation about the GCM is intended to spread fears among the population. The initiator is an Austrian political activist who is in close contact with the New Right in Germany. We should use substantive discussions about the GCM to constructively and objectively commence the discourse on migration policy. Therefore I would like to call on you to support the GCM in the future and to oppose the criticism.
Yours sincerely
[1] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dq1W1jOX0AIw7J9.jpg
To all Members of the CDU/CSU-Caucus in the German Bundestag (Parliament)
Berlin, October 18, 2018
Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Colleagues,
on the occasion of the current discussion in our group on the Global Migration Pact (GCM) I would like to inform you about the current state of the negotiations.
In the future, the GCM is to form a - not legally binding - political basis "`for a globally controlled and secure migration"'. It is supposed to form the basis for a globally better regulated and secure migration and the foundation for comprehensive international cooperation. A UN Summit for the adoption of the GCM is planned on December 10,-11, 2018 in Marrakech/Morocco.
The negotiations for the GCM were always the subject of political discussions. Thus the US left the GCM development in 2017. Poland has also made critical statements in the past (most recently a few days ago) but - currently - is still part of the GCM process and has always been active and cooperative at work level.
The Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtige Amt) has been in charge of the negotiations for Germany. From a political or migration policy point of view and despite discussions about the GCM it was important to us that the following German priority principles were anchored in the GCM:
- preservation of national sovereignty in border and security matters including possible criminal liability for illegal entry;
- clear separation between legal and illegal migration;
- demand for already well-managed legal migration without the postulate of an expansion of immigration opportunities;
- recommendations to "`regularize"' (legalize) the status of migrants who are irregular (in GER: illegal) in the countries of destination of migration at best on a case-by-case basis in the public interest in particular for integration;
- reaffirming the importance of return and cleaning policy as a consequence of the international readmission obligation towards own nationals.
From the point of view of the federal government that text is a solid and substantial compromise. The UN member states commit themselves in the GCM to the implementation of 23 goals and to increased international cooperation. In order to implement this the role of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been sustainably strengthened and the establishment of a United Nations Migration Network ("`UN Network on Migration"') agreed. Thus the GCM represents an important step towards global cooperation in migration matters. Therefore the Federal Government supports the signing of the GCM in the framework of the summit conference in December.
The petition "`Migrant Pact Stopping"' (Migrationspakt-Stoppen) referred to by some colleagues calls for the GCM not to be signed. It threatens the "`the destruction of the western welfare states"'. Accompanying this "`Leaflets"' of the participating politicians are distributed. I would like to point out the following: This petition is characterized by a polemic and unobjective rhetoric. Targeted disinformation about the GCM is intended to spread fears among the population. The initiator is an Austrian political activist who is in close contact with the New Right in Germany. We should use substantive discussions about the GCM to constructively and objectively commence the discourse on migration policy. Therefore I would like to call on you to support the GCM in the future and to oppose the criticism.
Yours sincerely
[1] https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dq1W1jOX0AIw7J9.jpg
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