Germany’s new chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to introduce a nationwide state of emergency, German media reported on Friday, citing government sources.
Key measures include activating Article 72 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which would allow refugees to be denied asylum, tightening border controls and speeding up deportation procedures.
According to a YouGov poll conducted before the Bundestag elections, migration has become the main problem for 31% of Germans. In second place is the economic situation and inflation (26%), followed by social security (16%).
On May 7, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt revoked a previous government order that prohibited asylum seekers from being turned away at the German border.
Merz had previously stated that he saw expanding the range of legal instruments to combat illegal migration as one of the new government’s priorities.
In January, he proposed a five-point plan, which included the introduction of long-term border controls and the refusal of entry to Germany without the necessary documents.
