"We must not let anyone sew division among us"

  • Home Page
  • Chancellor 

  • Federal Government

  • News

  • Service

  • Media Center

Government statement issued by the Federal Chancellor "We must not let anyone sew division among us"

In his government statement, Federal Chancellor Scholz referred to legislative changes adopted by the Federal Government to allow for better control of migration, more restrictive asylum law and a greater number of deportations. He also called for greater societal cohesion in Germany.

2 min reading time

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz speaking in the Bundestag.

"The right to asylum is integral to Germany’s laws and values," said Scholz in his government statement.

Photo: Federal Government/Guido Bergmann

Following the horrific attack in Aschaffenburg, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz issued a government statement in which he spoke about current domestic policy issues that are being addressed in the Bundestag. He highlighted the fact that the right to asylum was integral to Germany’s laws and values: "This must not be called into question!"

"The right to asylum is not least a direct response to the horrors of National Socialist rule. Back then, it was German and European Jews who were turned away at foreign borders. The lesson we have learned from the past is that this must never happen again. Germany in particular must ensure that history is not allowed to repeat itself," Scholz cautioned. 

00:43

Video Regierungserklärung des Bundeskanzlers: Menschlichkeit und Gerechtigkeit als Versprechen der Demokratie

This is what the Federal Chancellor had to say about …  

... the consequences of the attacks in Mannheim, Solingen, Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg

Federal Chancellor Scholz stressed that the Federal Government had defined the legal framework for better migration control, more restrictive asylum law and a greater number of deportations: "This is what we have been doing and will continue to do!" However, he said he also expected such laws to be consistently applied everywhere, and that this was particularly relevant with regard to foreign nationals law, police measures to avert dangers, the enforcement of deportations, and protection of the general public from dangerous mentally ill individuals.

... the Federal Government’s legislative proposals

The Federal Chancellor also stressed that important suggestions for boosting internal safety had been prepared and were ready for the Bundestag and Bundesrat to vote on. As an example, he mentioned new powers for security authorities, including the option to match biometric data available on the internet. 

... the significance of the European asylum reform

It was very important that the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) was being transposed into national legislation, Scholz said. "This way we can fix one of the biggest flaws of the Dublin system with effect for the future. We have been fighting for all of these concessions for many years, and getting others to agree to them has been a hard-won success."

... greater solidarity in Germany

His call for greater societal cohesion was one of the key messages of the Federal Chancellor’s government statement. „Almost a third of our population here in Germany have a migration background. Many are deeply afraid of being suspected of wrongdoing, yet they have to endure hatred and violence just like the rest of us. A young boy from Morocco and a little girl from Syria were among the victims in Aschaffenburg. That's why we must not let anyone sew division among us!”