Germany’s Pro Asyl Non-Governmental Organisation (NGOs) on Friday criticised plans put forward by conservative politicians to house asylum-seekers in so-called “anchor centres” while their applications are being processed.
“This is a programme to promote right-wing populism,” Pro Asyl head Guenter Burkhardt said.
The proposal has been made by politicians of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) with their allies in the Bavarian-based Christian Social Union (CSU) in the context of coalition talks with the Social Democrats (SPD).
The parties have agreed on stricter immigration policies in their talks aimed at forming a new “grand coalition” following elections in September.
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Burkhardt said the CDU’s more liberal members had been side-lined by their conservative colleagues over the issue.
The intention is for the anchor centres – characterised by Pro Asyl as “barracks” – to be responsible for rejected asylum seekers.
“If people are expected to stay there not only to the end of the asylum process, but even up to the end of a possible court case, tens of thousands are involved,” Burkhardt.
This would be detrimental to any future attempts at integration, he added.
At the beginning of the week the CSU’s Stephan Mayer, internal affairs parliamentary spokesman for the conservative parties, said asylum seekers should be held in these centres until a decision had been taken on their applications.
