ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A member of Germany’s center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Saturday said it is “unconscionable” for Syrians in the country to be sent home now that the regime of Bashar al-Assad is gone. Immigration is a major issue for Germans who will go to the polls in a snap election next month.
“Syria is an example, where a bloody dictatorship has ended, thank God. The fact that [this] prompted German conservatives to immediately say all Syrians must return home is ugly. This is really stupid and unconscionable,” SPD member Ralph Stegner told Rudaw.
“We want to give everyone who is here and follows the law a chance to integrate. Those who commit violent crimes, though a small minority, should not be allowed to stay. By doing this, we can solve many problems,” he added.
With the fall of Assad last month, many German hardliners have said that refugees who entered the country fleeing the regime should now go home. The debate over the Syrians’ future has become an election issue.
A snap election was called for February 23 after the collapse of the ruling coalition, led by Chancellor Olaf Scholz, an SPD member.
The SPD is the oldest party in Germany. Its popularity has been in decline while the far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to rise. AfD opposes integration and migration and the party publicly condones mass deportations.
Stegner highlighted the importance of political solutions like wages, healthcare, and job security, to counter populist rhetoric.
“We must explain to the people that those who vote for the enemies of democracy are cutting off the branch on which we are all sitting,” he said.
Europe has seen a rise in far-right popularity in many countries, including the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy.
