Do the Majority of Germans Favor Reducing Asylum Immigration?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- A majority of Germans favor reducing asylum immigration.
- Only 15% oppose the government's measures.
- Stricter border controls have been implemented since May.
- There is a push for tougher EU asylum regulations.
- Public awareness of policy changes remains low.
Berlin, Dec 20 (NationPress) A significant portion of the German populace endorses the federal government's initiatives to limit asylum immigration, as revealed by a recent opinion survey released on Saturday.
According to a poll conducted by YouGov for the German news agency DPA, 53 percent of participants fully back Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt's objective of decreasing the influx of asylum seekers into the nation, with an additional 23 percent expressing conditional support for the policy.
Only 15 percent of those surveyed oppose this strategy, while the remaining respondents were undecided, as reported by Xinhua news agency. Since his appointment in May, Dobrindt has implemented more stringent border controls and authorized the rejection of asylum seekers at Germany's borders, with exceptions made for vulnerable individuals such as pregnant women and those with severe health issues.
On the European Union front, he is also pushing for tougher asylum regulations that would allow for the creation of so-called return centers, where asylum seekers must stay before being deported back to their home countries.
Despite these measures, merely 8 percent of respondents claimed to have noticed a distinct change in migration policy, with 42 percent stating they perceived no shift at all.
The YouGov survey was conducted among over 2,100 eligible voters between December 12 and 15.
Earlier in the week, authorities in Germany's eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt reported the detention of a 21-year-old man suspected of planning an attack on large gatherings, as per public broadcaster ARD.
The suspect, whose nationality has not been disclosed but is described as hailing from 'Central Asia,' was taken into police custody last Friday and has been placed in detention pending deportation, according to the interior ministry of Saxony-Anhalt.
Tamara Zieschang, the state's interior minister, stated on Tuesday that the suspect had entered Germany in 2024 and had recently been training as a nursing specialist.
Authorities began monitoring him after observing signs of escalating radicalization, including a notable interest in weapons.
In a separate case, five individuals were detained earlier this month in Bavaria on suspicion of plotting a vehicle attack at a Christmas market.