The federal government is at odds over the admission of additional refugees. While the federal minister of the interior, Kanther, believes that Germany has fulfilled its obligations and additional refugees would place excessive strains on the country, other members of the coalition are moved by humanitarian considerations to oppose closing the borders. The UNO estimates there are 50,000 people seeking aid. It remains a matter of continued discussion as to how the burden can be fairly distributed among EU member states.
Spiegel 7.8.95 // Focus 7.8.95 // Welt 8.8.95 // taz 19.8.95

Repatriation of Croation refugees temporarily discontinued

In view of wartime dangers in Croatia, the Ministry of the Interior has decided to discontinue deporting Croatian refugees. According to an agreement concluded in April between Germany and Croatia, 100,000 Croatian refugees will be gradually repatriated.
FR 4.8.95 // FAZ 4.8.95

Criticism of repatriation agreement with Vietnam

The government"s agreement with Vietnam to repatriate some 2,500 persons within this year has been strongly criticised by representatives of affected groups. Their criticism concerns the following points: The first persons to be repatriated are those former GDR contract workers who had been the most integrated group. Persons with any sort of conviction including misdemeanours and traffic violations, are to be quickly deported. However, there are no guarantees concerning the conditions of repatriation, or whether integration assistance will be provided.
FR 1.8.95

Conflicts between Kurdish demonstrators and police

In response to Kurdish attacks on Turks and continuing clashes between Kurdish demonstrators and police, the federal foreign minister declared that Turkish-Kurdish conflicts cannot be settled in Germany. CDU/CSU politicians advocate deportating violent PKK supporters to Turkey. After Kurdish protest demonstrations the DSU Member of Parliament Zeitlmann called for making it possible to limit the right of foreigners to assemble. Diplomatic relations between Germany and Turkey have been adversely affected by the tensions resulting from the conflicts. Ankara has demanded better protection for Turks from Kurdish attacks and the deportation of PKK activists. According to security experts, the PKK puts pressure on Kurds residing in Germany and collects annually an estimated 30 million marks in contributions.
FR 4.8.95 // SZ 7.8.95 // SZ 3.8.95 // Welt 17.8.95

A call for a human rights commission on asylum questions

The minister of justice in Hessen, Plottnitz (Alliance 90/Green party) calls for the establishment of a "Council on Human Rights Questions" which would create gudelines and regulations for asylum and deportation policies. In view of the "obvious failure of the asylum compromise", an independent commission should ascertain violations of human rights.
FR 4.8.95 // dpa 3.8.95

Turkish government demands integration measures for Turkish immigrants

The Turkish prime minister Ciller has called for the right to vote in municipal elections and the introduction of dual nationality for Turks in order to promote their integration in Germany.
taz 7.8.95 // Welt 7.8.95

Deportations at the Frankfurt Airport

From the beginning of the year until July 15, 1995, the Frankfurt airport has been the scene of 4,527 deportations to 90 different countries. Of the deportations, 640 were to Romania, 505 to Poland, 307 to Algeria, 264 to Bulgaria, 237 to Macedonia, 219 to India and 211 to Turkey. These numbers were reported by the Ministry of the Interior of Hessen to the SPD state parliamentary party, which had requested information about deportation facilities at the airport.
taz 7.8.95 // Welt 7.8.95

Doctors against deportations

Several medical organizations have made a public appeal to their fellow professionals to refuse assistance in cases involving the deportation of foreigners. Moreover, the Association of Democratic Doctors has condemned the practice of forced X-ray examinations of young alien refugees in order to determine their age.
FR 14.8.95 // FR 12.8.95

Ex-minister and CSU member condemns deportation practice

The former Bavarian minister of justice and the interior, has dissociated himself from the asylum compromise . He realized it was "inhuman" while representing a 19 year old Croation who was deported.
SZ 4.8.95 // FR 15.8.95

Criticism of airport practices concerning refugee children

Members of the federal parliamentary group Alliance 90/The Green party, have spoken out against the prevailing practice of subjecting minors to the same procedures as adult refugees. They consider both the use of proceedures to expedite deportation of youth as well as the inappropriate accommodations at the airport to be violations of the UNO accords on protecting children. The group recommends reimplementing the so-called Clearing Procedure which was abolished in 1994. This procedure involved consultations with the Youth Welfare Office (Jugendamt) in asylum cases concerning minors.
SZ 16.8.95

Renewed inner political conflict over asylum law

A last-minute provisional order of the constitional court which prohibited carrying out the much-disputed decision of the ministry of the interior to deport 7 Sudanese refugees has caused new controversy concerning the so-called asylum compromise. The decision of the federal constitutional court is expected in November. In the meantime a new argument about asylum policies has arisen in parliament. While the CDU/CSU (Minister of the Interior Kanther) defends present asylum policies, FDP und SPD increasingly call for a modification of the asylum law.
Focus 21.8.95 // FAZ 26.8.95 // SZ 26.8.95 // FAZ 28.8.95

Foreigner Councils threaten with EC law suits in the case of inadequate election information

Bavarian foreigner councils fear that EC foreigners eligible to vote in municipal elections in 1996 are not being adequately informed about their rights. For this reason the councils are theatening to to bring action against the Bavarian state government at the European Court. Through such action the municipal elections could be declared invalid.
dpa 10.8.95 // NZ 12.8.95

Last year 42% fewer illegal entries

The annual report of the Federal Border Control (BGS) reports about 31,000 cases of prevented illegal entry in 1994. In 1993 over 54,000 would-be illegal immigrants were apprehended. 84% of the prevented entries occurred at the borders to Poland and the Czech Republic. At the airports 21,900 persons without valid papers were caught. The Federal Border Control estimates that the actual number of illegal entries is three times as high as the known cases. According to data from the Chancellor"s office, illegal entries are increasing at the German-Polish borders. From January to July 1995 over 8,000 persons were apprehended. Of these, 52% were from Romania, and 14% were from the former Soviet Union. About 60 Romanians per day are flown back to Romania.
FAZ 30.8.95 // SZ 30.8.95 // FR 21.8.95

Asylum statistics

The number of asylum petitions in August 1995 rose slightly as a result of the stream of refugees from former Yugoslavia. There were 11,919 petitions for asylum which is 1,700 more than in the previous month, and 1,600 more than in August of the previous year. Over 3,000 asylum seekers were from former Yugoslavia, and over 2,000 were from Turkey. The admission rate is 9.6%; 53.1% of the petitions are rejected. Since the beginning of the year 80,551 refugees have requested asylum, which is 1.6% less than last year"s number.
SZ 7.9.95 // FR 7.9.95

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