Merz's statements on migration: Cityscape causes heated demos!

Merz's statements on migration: Cityscape causes heated demos!

On October 14th, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz commented on the challenges of migration policy in Germany. He emphasized that the German federal government is making progress and correcting previous failures. Nevertheless, Merz admitted that there are still problems in the cityscape. In particular, the return of migrants without legal residence status was the focus of his remarks. According to his assessment, migrants who do not have a permanent permit to stay and who violate applicable rules pose an increased risk. These statements have sparked controversy in Germany, with demonstrations against Merz's comments organized by the Left Party and other groups accusing him of moving closer to the AfD.

The reactions to Merz's comments show a clearly divided opinion. A survey by the ZDF political barometer showed that 63 percent of respondents support Merz's arguments, while 29 percent consider this opinion to be unjustified. Approval varies significantly by age group: only 42 percent of 18 to 34-year-olds support his statement, while 70 percent of 35 to 59-year-olds and 66 percent of those over 60 agree with him. There are also strong critical voices from Green Party European politician Erik Marquardt, who described the survey as distorting.

Current situation and social debate

Migration policy has become more relevant since the civil war in Syria (2015/2016), which led to Germany accepting over a million refugees. According to statistics, there were around 251,000 asylum applications in Germany in 2024, which corresponds to a decrease of around 29 percent compared to the previous year. However, this issue has taken on new urgency, especially after the recent attacks in Mannheim and Solingen, which have further fueled the debate about migration and asylum policy.

Surveys show that a significant part of the German population is calling for a change in migration policy. A survey from September 2024 showed that 77 percent of respondents support such a turnaround. These opinions emerged at a time when the AfD received over 30 percent of the vote in state elections in Thuringia and Saxony and achieved 20.8 percent in the 2025 federal election. At the same time, numerous municipalities say they are overburdened when it comes to accommodating refugees. These overloads have a direct impact on the public perception of migration policy.

Political reactions and strategies

In the political spectrum, the federal government responded to the challenges with specific measures, including deportations to Afghanistan and stricter border controls. In addition, a law to improve returns was debated in January 2024 in order to speed up deportations. Meanwhile, the majority of Germans show a preference for European solutions when dealing with refugees. There is high support for a common asylum system in other EU countries such as the Netherlands and Spain.

The current discussion about migration and integration is being used by various political actors to strengthen their own positions. The traffic light coalition is trying to respond to the diverse challenges of migration policy, while pressure from the right is becoming increasingly noticeable. The topic remains a central social problem that concerns not only Germany, but also other European countries.

In this context, it is important to closely monitor public discussions and political reactions in order to understand how migration policy in Germany will develop further.

For more information on this topic, please visit: Small newspaper, t-online.de, and Statista.