By Germany’s Special Representative for Migration Agreements, Joachim Stamp, has proposed deporting migrants who enter the European Union illegally through its borders with Belarus to Rwanda. The suggestion comes as Berlin considers measures to restrict refugee arrivals in the bloc amid rising political pressure.
Stamp, a member of the junior coalition FDP party, outlined his proposal in a podcast by Table Media published on Thursday. He suggested utilizing existing asylum facilities in Rwanda that were initially set up for Britain’s 2022 plan to send unauthorized migrants to the East African nation. The British plan was abandoned by Keir Starmer’s new government in July.
Under Stamp’s proposal, asylum procedures in Rwanda would be conducted under United Nations supervision. “We currently have no third country that has come forward, with the exception of Rwanda,” Stamp stated, noting that Rwanda has publicly expressed willingness to continue implementing this model.
The proposal specifically targets refugees crossing the EU’s eastern borders, with Stamp estimating this group to be “about 10,000 people a year.” He dismissed broader suggestions from the conservative opposition to apply such a model to all refugees.
This initiative comes in the wake of increasing pressure on Germany’s ruling coalition government to restrict irregular migration. The pressure intensified following a fatal stabbing linked to Islamic State at a city festival last month, which fueled far-right opposition and criticism of Berlin’s migration policies.
Stamp also suggested removing the “connecting element” in the new Common European Asylum System (CEAS), which currently requires external asylum procedures to be conducted in countries where the asylum seeker has a social connection.
The proposal emerges against the backdrop of the European Union’s December agreement on new rules to handle irregular arrivals of asylum seekers and migrants. This deal, hailed as a breakthrough after nearly a decade of disagreements, is expected to take full effect by the end of 2025.
Stamp’s position within Germany’s Interior Ministry lends weight to his proposal, although it remains to be seen how it will be received by other coalition partners and the broader European community. The suggestion to use Rwanda as a processing center for asylum seekers entering the EU via Belarus represents a significant shift in Germany’s approach to managing irregular migration.
Reuters
