ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - German state leaders on Thursday called for faster deportations of people considered security threats and tougher measures against political extremism, as the heads of the country's 16 federal states met in Berlin to discuss security and other domestic challenges.
"We are talking about dangerous individuals, and we will specifically discuss Syria and Afghanistan. That will be a focus today so we can reach a unified understanding; this is very important to me," Lower Saxony Minister-President Olaf Lies told Rudaw’s Alla Shally ahead of the Minister-Presidents' Conference.
"All parties agree on the current proposal. This is an important signal for all the decisions we adopt, ensuring we do not fall into disputes among the states themselves or between the states and the federal government," Lies added.
Lies, a member of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), made the remarks as Germany's mainstream parties face mounting pressure over migration following gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the February 2025 federal election.
The AfD, which has campaigned for tighter border controls, stricter immigration rules and large-scale deportations, emerged as Germany's second-largest party in the election, intensifying debate over immigration and the country's political direction.
Mainstream parties have largely maintained a policy of refusing cooperation with the AfD, known as the firewall, although disputes over migration policy have increasingly tested that approach.
Andreas Bovenschulte, President of the Senate and Mayor of Bremen, who is also an SPD member, stressed the need to apply existing laws equally to extremists across the political spectrum.
"I reiterate that there are proper legal procedures to confront all those who violate the law, particularly those who violate the penal code and the constitution," Bovenschulte stated. "However, we must confront any party—whether Islamic extremists, right-wing extremists, or left-wing extremists—that violates the constitution or the penal code in the exact same manner."
Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger, another SPD politician, emphasized the importance of addressing economic insecurity and protecting living standards to counter the far right's appeal.
"I have previously illustrated with two examples how I believe we can deliver good policies for the people, especially if our main concern is that citizens might not have enough money to afford their livelihood by dinnertime. It is our duty to fundamentally eliminate that anxiety," Rehlinger said.
Meanwhile, Gordon Schnieder, minister-president of Rhineland-Palatinate and a senior figure in the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), said public safety should be a priority and urged the federal government to provide the legal framework needed to facilitate deportations.
“The intention is that people here in this country must feel safe and secure, and those who pose a threat here cannot stay,” Schnieder said, adding that “after the attack on the Christopher Street Day parade, we once again made it clear that these dangerous individuals must leave this country.”
“The deportation of criminals and the return process in general depend on the states; therefore, we also emphasized that where a different legal framework is still needed to facilitate this, the federal government must take action,” he added.
The debate comes as German authorities face pressure to accelerate the removal of foreign nationals convicted of serious crimes or deemed security threats, including to Syria and Afghanistan, while complying with legal safeguards against returning people to countries where they could face persecution or serious harm.
The AfD's growing electoral strength has intensified debate over the political isolation of the far right, with critics warning that further gains could undermine democratic institutions and increase pressure on immigrant communities.
