Germany, where a couple of weeks ago the far-right won a landslide victory in regional elections in the Eastern part of the country, has just decided to close its borders, as part of increased security measures to tackle illegal migration and migration-related crimes. As the country suffers from terrorist attacks, the federal government coalition’s popularity has fallen to record low. Is all this Germany’s inner problem, which will remain within its borders, or is Germany the first EU Member State to suffer the mistakes the EU has made in recent years concerning migration…? Is it time to pay the price for years of inaction? Likes and dislikes for German measures to stop migration. Finally, can Germany trigger a domino effect in Europe? Let’s explore this issue together.
Well-timed statistics
According to official statistics for 2023, released by the Federal Statistical office of Germany (Destatis) this summer, there were altogether 1,933,000 migrants in Germany. Germany: Net immigration sinks sharply in 2023 – DW – 06/27/2024 In 2023, over 350,000 people applied for asylum in the country. According to the authorities, over 266,000 people suspected of entering the country illegally which is a 33.4% increase on 2022. German police report significant rise in illegal migration – DW – 08/21/2024
To mark the start of the new school year, the Destatis once again released some shocking data: roughly a quarter of the population in Germany has an immigration history, and this is also evident in schools, but to various degrees. According to the Destatis, 29% of pupils in general education schools had an immigration history last year; among teachers, this was the case for 11%. 29% of pupils in general education schools had an immigration history in 2023 – Federal Statistical Office (destatis.de)
A well-timed pop song
In August, ahead of the upcoming state elections in East Germany, an AI-generated parody song about immigrants appeared in German Top 50. The song ’Verknallt in einen Talahon’ (’In love with a Talahon’) was written in the style of the 1960s schlager pop and soon after its release had multimillion streams on various streaming platforms.
’Translating as In Love with a Talahon, the song references a Germanised version of the Arabic expression “taeal huna”, meaning “come here” but now commonly used in Germany to describe groups of young men with immigrant backgrounds, often with derogatory overtones’, The Guardian explained in an article. AI-generated parody song about immigrants storms into German Top 50 | Artificial intelligence (AI) | The Guardian
The song is a classic ’good girl falls for bad boy’ story, with some references to the culture of the Middle East and Türkiye. The author said he just wanted to make a song that made fun of overtly macho behaviour ’with a twinkle in the eye and without discriminating’. However, his efforts have been given a very different interpretation by some, saying that, by this song, ’talahon’ was firmly established as an insult among young Germans and Austrians against migrants.
Turning point: tragic knife attack in Solingen
As for Germany, the deadly knife attack in Solingen proved to be a turning point, after which Olaf Scholz said that irregular migration into Germany ’must go down’ claiming that the case ’was terrorism, terrorism against us all’. Solingen attack: Germany’s Olaf Scholz vows crackdown on illegal migration (bbc.com)
The suspect in the Solingen attack came to Germany in 2022 as a Syrian refugee. His application was rejected and he was ordered to be deported to Bulgaria given he had already registered for asylum there. German officials said when they tried to deport him, they could not find, that is how he could remain in Germany. The attacker is suspected of links to the terror organisation Islamic State. Solingen attack: Germany’s Olaf Scholz vows crackdown on illegal migration (bbc.com)
Anti-immigrant far-right takes it all
There is little doubt that the release of the above song was scheduled to coincide with the elections in East Germany, in which not only centrist forces but also the far-right tried to reach voters with specific campaign messages. The contribution of the pop song to the ultimate far-right success is also unquestionable.
Although the German government announced tougher migration measures ahead of the state elections in Eastern Germany, it proved too late. Germany announces tougher migration measures ahead of state elections – POLITICO Then came the tragedy in Solingen and voters made their final decision.
Results of the regional elections came as a schock to Germany, and the German goverrnment in particular. Anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) reached its biggest electoral success since World War II. The AfD called its own success a ’historic’ one. The three parties of the ruling coalition of Chancellor Olaf Scholz – Scholz’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the fiscally conservative Free Democratic Party (FDP) – suffered significant losses. (The surprisingly good results by the populist left BSW is another interesting story but it is not in our focus this time.) German far right wins first major election since World War II – POLITICO
’Support for the AfD surged even after state-level domestic intelligence agencies in Thuringia and Saxony classified the local branches of the party as extremist organizations intending to undermine German democracy. The fact that almost one in three voters in both states supported the AfD despite official warnings speaks to widespread public distrust in mainstream parties and institutions in Germany’s East. Polls show the AfD is also leading in the eastern state of Brandenburg, where voters go to the polls Sept. 22.’, POLITICO concluded. German far right wins first major election since World War II – POLITICO
Migration as people’s main concern and migration in focus of politics
The issue which was placed in the center of public attention by AfD during the election campaign was migration. The election results in Germany show that migration and migration-related crime are among top three concerns of people.
According to a survey for German public television, 81-percent of voters agreed with the statement: ’We need a fundamentally different asylum and refugee policy so that fewer people come to us.’ German far right wins first major election since World War II – POLITICO Polls show migration is also voters’ biggest concern in in the northern state of Brandenburg before elections. ‘The end of Schengen’: Germany’s new border controls put EU unity at risk | European Commission | The Guardian
Following the elections in East Germany, the leadership in Berlin have finally understood how serious the situation was. In response to the emergency situation, the German government announced that the country will temporarily institute tighter controls at all of its land borders to reduce irregular migration and to improve security. The new rules will be in place for an initial six months, starting from 16 September. ’We want to further reduce irregular migration,’ German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said. Germany tightens border controls in immigration clampdown – POLITICO
Next dominos: The Netherlands and Belgium?
Speaking about migration, one should be aware of the fact that reducing immigration have become a new key priority in some Western EU Member States – countries which earlier strongly criticised and categorically rejected the ’inhuman’ and ’anti-European’ practice of some Eastern European countries such as Hungary and Slovakia in the field of migration. All over Europe, more and more calls to cut social benefits for migrants can be heard. ’Stop migration’ have become one of the main political messages in Member States.
However, despite the general discontent in many European countries, recent news from the Netherlands could have come as a surprise for many. According to the decision of the Dutch government, from January 1, 2025 the state will end payments to failed asylum seekers. Such plans have been announced by Dutch Asylum Minister Marjolein Faber on 5 September. In addition to the intention to end providing state-funded bed, bread and baths for rejected asylum seekers, the right-wing government of the Netherlands would also shift the focus to deportations. Government to stop funding “bed and board” for rejected refugees – DutchNews.nl
Belgium, neighbour of the Netherlands also has the right to declare itself full. However, it is not only about the rising number of migrants there. Belgium has become one of the most affected by migration-related crimes in EU. Recent experiences on Brussels’ Midi international train station signal that one of the biggest transportation hubs of Belgium has become a real hellhole – a magnet for trouble where even experienced police officers cannot enter without risking their lives. Europe’s most dangerous train station exposes Brussels’ failures – POLITICO It is just a question of time how long Belgians can tolerate this unacceptable situation in their country and when public discontent will be followed by anti-immigrant steps by the Belgian government.
An attack on one of the EU’s core values?
Countries such as Germany and the Netherland (and Belgium, very likely, in the near future) are not in an easy position when try to change their migration policies, since they have to handle this issue very carefully to avoid accusations of discriminatory treatment, and, at the same time, they should still be able to make progress in order to fulfil their voters’ will.
Unsurprisingly, following the announcement of the new German security rules, liberal and leftist politicial groups both in Germany and all around Europe have immediately launched a counterattack, claiming that suggestions concerning migrants and migration ’are not feasible and incompatible with German and European Union law.’ German border plan to stop ‘irregular migration’ unacceptable, says Tusk | Germany | The Guardian
With its new rules on migration, Germany seems to really upset its neighbours. Critics claim the new German security measures, including tightened land border checks are driven chiefly by politics, and the border control is an attack on the Schengen Treaty.
As the guarantor of the treaty, the European Commission said that Member States were allowed to take such a step to address ’a serious threat’, but the measures needed to be ’necessary and proportionate’ and must ’remain strictly exceptional’. ‘The end of Schengen’: Germany’s new border controls put EU unity at risk | European Commission | The Guardian
For those arguing for reducing migration both in Germany and the EU as a whole, the measures introduced by Berlin represent effective tools that can help protect the EU. Prominent European rightwing populists have welcomed the German decision. ’Good idea, we have to do it too!’, the Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders has commented Nancy Faeser’s announcement. ’Chancellor Scholz, welcome to the club!’, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán said on X. Germany upsets its neighbours with border clampdown (ft.com)
Scholz himself can easily become a falling domino
After former German Chancellor Angela Merkel had personally contributed to an uncontrolled flood of migrants to the EU in 2015 with her ’open doors’ policy, Olaf Scholz of Germany could be the one to trigger a change in the bloc’s migration policy in 2024 by being the first domino to fall and say no to unwanted guests.
However, it should also be added that, there is a big question mark how far the German chancellor, greatly weakened due to the results of the recent elections, can reach in this struggle.
Scholz seems to have received a wake-up call, but perhaps, it came too late for him considering that in European and regional elections, German voters have clearly punished the ruling coalition in Berlin. As for the new measures, the option that Scholz’s new security measures are nothing but a last-minute political marketing trick is quite realistic. But if his intention is real and he is truly committed to stop migration, there could be real changes not only in Germany but also at EU level. If the abovementioned security measures serve nothing but his political survival and prove to be just empty words, Europe as a whole will suffer the consequences.
