Schnedlitz: ÖVP Interior Minister Karner exposed as a steam chat!

Schnedlitz: ÖVP Interior Minister Karner exposed as a steam chat!

Solingen, Deutschland - In a sharp comment on asylum policy, the FPÖ homemade protection spokesman Michael Schledlitz criticized the appearance of ÖVP interior minister Gerhard Karner in the "ORF press hour". Karner described Karner as a "gold medalist" in steam chatting and accused him of not pursuing a clear line in asylum policy. In particular, Schledlitz emphasized that family reunification continues to be finally rejected, which in his opinion illustrates the inability of the ÖVP to secure the country. According to Schledlitz, the past migration policy of the ÖVP has led to a "bankruptcy, bad luck and breakdown series", which is shown by the fact that 250,000 illegal migrants have been let into the country in the past. He therefore calls for effective protection of the external borders and a "fortress Austria".

Schledlitz rejected Karner's attacks on his party and emphasized that the FPÖ supported measures to combat IS risk. At the same time, he expressed his concerns about the effectiveness of weapon ban zones, since these would not be observed by potential endangers. Even if he praised the police's performance, Schledlitz warns that police officers may be prevented or instrumentalized in their work.

Federal Government plans asylum and security laws

In Germany, politics is also in transition. After the knife attack in Solingen, in which a man from Syria killed three people, the Federal Government announced tightened asylum and security laws. This "security package" was published after weeks of consultations and is to be passed by the Bundestag by the end of next week. Among other things, it includes tightening weapons law and additional powers for security authorities. Changes in asylum policy are also provided for, such as the cancellation of social benefits for refugees who are already required to leave, who are already registered in another EU country.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser emphasized that the reform of the common European asylum system (GEAS) must be promoted faster. A draft law on the EU asylum reform was presented this week, with large EU countries demanding faster implementation.

Reform of the common European asylum system

In December 2023, the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament agreed on a comprehensive reform of the common European asylum system (GEAS), which is considered the most extensive change in recent decades. In May 2024, the reform was officially decided, which provides for the registration of all those seeking protection at the EU external borders in a screening process. The decision on asylum applications should be made within twelve weeks. At the same time, a solidarity mechanism is introduced to relieve member states with a high amount of people seeking protection.

The reform is not uncontroversial. While the aim is to standardize and speed up the asylum procedures, there are concerns that repressive measures could make access to asylum procedures difficult. The EU directive on temporary protection remains and was activated in 2022 for refugees from Ukraine, while the Member States have two years to implement the new legal file.

As the developments show in both Austria and Germany, asylum policy in Europe remains a highly complex and conflict -loaded topic. The debates about security, migration and integration measures are more current than ever and raise numerous questions about the future orientation of European refugee policy.

For deeper insights into the topics of asylum policy and security, read: OTS Tagesschau and bpb .