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FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr: "Understanding for the French position"

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa

The traffic light is tightening its course in dealing with those seeking protection. In the future, asylum seekers are to be registered and identified at the EU's external borders. FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr has now spoken out in favour of detaining minors in the planned asylum centres until their applications have been examined.

He had "understanding for the French position of allowing minors to go through fast-track procedures in the asylum centers," Dürr told the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung. Uniform rules are necessary, "and these can also apply to under-18s".

Dürr described the planned establishment of asylum centres for fast-track procedures at the EU's external borders as "a turning point". At the same time, he pleaded for stronger protection of Germany's borders as long as this was not yet sufficiently successful at the EU's external borders. He hoped for a quick and reasonable agreement between Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) and her colleagues in the affected federal states.

Reliable asylum centres

Since the refugee crisis of 2015, border controls with Austria have been in place to prevent migrants from neighbouring countries from continuing their journey to Germany. At the refugee summit on May 10, the federal government had promised with the federal states to introduce this "depending on the situation" in other neighboring countries.

Faeser wants to organize the asylum centers in such a way that the registration and identification of protection seekers work faster and more reliably. Among the proposals being discussed at EU level is that those who have no prospect of protection as refugees or because of political persecution must leave the EU immediately after an examination. The examination should take a maximum of a few weeks. The other asylum seekers will then be distributed within the EU.

As early as 8 June, the Council meeting of EU interior ministers is to discuss the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which has been controversial for years. Above all, countries on the EU's external borders, such as Italy, have a great interest in reaching an agreement on this soon with a view to next year's European elections.

mrc/dpa/AFP