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DW
a day ago
- Politics
- DW
Europe rights chief flags Germany's Gaza protest response – DW – 06/19/2025
Skip next section Council of Europe raises concerns over Germany's handling of Gaza protests 06/19/2025 June 19, 2025 Council of Europe raises concerns over Germany's handling of Gaza protests The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty expressed concern to German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt about freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly in Germany over protests related to the war in Gaza. In a letter dated June 6 but made public Thursday , he cited reports of police using excessive force against demonstrators, including minors. "The use of force by law enforcement officials including during protests must comply with the principles of non-discrimination, legality, necessity and proportionality, and precaution," he wrote. O'Flaherty also noted that restrictions on events, symbols, or other forms of expression in this context. He said governments have very limited grounds to restrict political speech or public debate, unless it incites violence, and must assess each case individually. The human rights commissioner also pointed to reports that Germany justified some restrictions on rights as part of an effort to prevention of antisemitism. "I note with concern reports indicating that the working definition of antisemitism of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) has been interpreted by some German authorities in ways which lead to the blanket classification of criticism of Israel as antisemitic," he said. "In that regard, I urge you to be vigilant that the IHRA working definition is not distorted, instrumentalised or misapplied to stifle freedom of expression and legitimate criticism, including of the state of Israel." DW has requested comment from Dobrindt and will update this story if a response is received. The Council of Europe is a Strasbourg-based international human rights organization that protects human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It is not a part of the European Union. Silent protest: Dancing for Iran To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Local Germany
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Local Germany
Firework bans and deportations: The new laws German ministers could put forward
The spring conference of Germany's interior ministers - of both federal and state governments - is set to open on Wednesday evening in Bremerhaven. According to reporting by the German Press Agency (DPA), discussions on electronic ankle bracelets for violent offenders, the fight against sexual violence against children and how to deal with the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) are on the agenda. Other topics include strengthening civil protection and civil defence, betting in amateur sports and dealing with New Year's Eve fireworks. The conference, which was founded in 1954 and usually happens twice a year, is intended to promote political cooperation between Germany's state and federal governments. The conference can pass resolutions that inform initiatives to be carried out in the coming months. Recently appointed Federal Minister of the Interior, Alexander Dobrindt (CSU), is expected to announce when the next deportation flight to Afghanistan is scheduled following the conference. Free rides for police officers According to DPA, there is broad agreement on nationwide measures to improve safety on trains. Among them is a recommendation to allow federal police officers to use trains free of charge even when not in uniform. How the officers should identify themselves during ticket inspection was a recent the subject of discussions. Continued border checks and deportations Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann told the Augsburger Allgemeine that they would also "talk intensively about the current refugee situation..." "We must continue the migration turnaround," he added. This includes the implementation of further border controls, which has recently become a point of contention between judicial and executive authorities. READ ALSO: How long can Germany keep its tighter border controls in place? Advertisement Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) praises the tightened border controls, but adds that, "It is clear that further measures must follow." Namely she wants to see more deportations of "dangerous persons" and criminals, including to Afghanistan and Syria. Since the Islamist Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, Germany had ceased deportations to Afghanistan - with one exception in August last year when 28 offenders were flown to Kabul. Stricter limits for fireworks The states would like to see more options for firework prohibition zones. This year's chairman of the conference, Bremen's interior minister, Ulrich Mäurer (SPD), told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland : "I would prefer to ban private New Year's Eve fireworks." Together with Berlin Mäurer has proposed that cities should have the power to ban fireworks where they cause problems. How to deal with the AfD Notably, a discussion of an AfD party ban is not on the agenda. Advertisement On Tuesday, ahead of the conference, federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said he opposes a ban on the far-right party despite the BfV domestic intelligence service labelling it an "extremist" group. Such a ban could be applied for by the federal government, the Bundestag or the Bundesrat. In the end, the Federal Constitutional Court would have to decide. However, Dobrindt and several CDU interior ministers want to end the ban debate, suggesting that a ban could fuel support for the party and that it must instead be defeated politically. With reporting by DPA.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
German interior minister against ban on far-right AfD
BERLIN: German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said Tuesday he opposes a ban on the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party despite the BfV domestic intelligence service labelling it an 'extremist' group. At a press conference to present the yearly BfV report on domestic security threats, Dobrindt said the 'AfD must be dealt with politically' and parties of the 'political centre should govern in a way that sees the AfD off'. Dobrindt said this meant 'solving the problems' that the anti-immigration AfD capitalised on to achieve its best-ever result in February's general election, when it won more than 20 percent of the vote. The conservative CDU/CSU alliance of Chancellor Friedrich Merz -- to which Dobrindt belongs -- made a crackdown on irregular migration one of its central election promises. The BfV's designation of the AfD as a 'right-wing extremist' group sparked renewed calls for the party to be banned, including from among the CDU/CSU's junior coalition partner, the centre-left Social Democrats. The BfV has suspended the classification while an appeal from the AfD moves through the courts. The legal requirements for banning a political party are very high in Germany. Either the government or one of the two houses of parliament would have to ask Germany's constitutional court to impose such a ban by proving the party poses a serious threat to democracy. The last party to be banned in Germany was the Communist Party in 1956. Dobrindt said that in his opinion the findings the BfV used to justify its designation 'are not sufficient to justify the process of a ban'. In particular he said the BfV had not addressed the question of whether the AfD represented a grave threat to democracy and the rule of law. However, Dobrindt did say he personally agreed with the description of the AfD as 'extremist' and accused it of fuelling political polarisation. According to the BfV report, Germany has seen a marked jump in the potential strength of right-wing extremist movements from just over 40,000 people in 2023 to more than 50,000 the following year. Of those, the number who were deemed potentially willing to use violence rose from 14,500 to 15,300 in the same time frame. The report also noted a rise in the number of left-wing extremists that could potentially be mobilised from 37,000 to 38,000 and of radical Islamists from 27,200 to 28,280.
The Star
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Germany urges Dutch to crack down on citizens' border checks
FILE PHOTO: Germany's Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Sinan Selen, Vice-President of the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (not pictured), attend a press conference to present the 'Constitution Protection Report 2024' in Berlin, Germany June 10, 2025. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany's interior minister and the head of its federal police union on Tuesday criticised unofficial border checks by citizens in the Netherlands, saying they expected decisive action from the Dutch authorities to stamp out such practices. A group of citizens carried out their own checks near the northern Dutch town of Ter Apel on Saturday evening, stopping vehicles to look for asylum seekers, local broadcaster RTV Noord reported on Sunday. The news comes a few days after Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders toppled the ruling coalition in a dispute over migration policy. While Wilders' party only shared power in the government, his anti-immigration views have shaped Dutch policy for decades. The Netherlands has some of the European Union's toughest policies on asylum and immigration. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Tuesday there was no legal basis for the citizens' action. "I believe we will indeed take another look at this if this phenomenon continues ... I also assume that the authorities will end such measures," Dobrindt, who introduced stricter border controls and immediate rejections for asylum seekers last month, said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The head of Germany's Federal Police Union, Andreas Rosskopf, said the Dutch authorities' reaction had been "a bit too little", and urged greater efforts to avoid escalation. "It must be clear that citizens without legal authority have no right to intervene, to monitor, and ultimately to carry out the tasks of the security authorities, the police authorities," Rosskopf told journalists. Dutch broadcaster RTL reported that police found no criminal offence when they arrived at the scene. Caretaker Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said citizens' frustration was understandable but that they must not take the law into their own hands. "Let the police and military police do their job," he said on social media platform X on Sunday. Dutch immigration has slowed significantly from a peak in 2022. The Netherlands received almost two first-time asylum applications per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, slightly below the EU average, according to Eurostat data. (Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Markus Wacket in Berlin, and Anthony Deutsch in Amsterdam. Editing by Mark Potter)
Reuters
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Germany urges Dutch to crack down on citizens' border checks
BERLIN, June 10 (Reuters) - Germany's interior minister and the head of its federal police union on Tuesday criticised unofficial border checks by citizens in the Netherlands, saying they expected decisive action from the Dutch authorities to stamp out such practices. A group of citizens carried out their own checks near the northern Dutch town of Ter Apel on Saturday evening, stopping vehicles to look for asylum seekers, local broadcaster RTV Noord reported on Sunday. The news comes a few days after Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders toppled the ruling coalition in a dispute over migration policy. While Wilders' party only shared power in the government, his anti-immigration views have shaped Dutch policy for decades. The Netherlands has some of the European Union's toughest policies on asylum and immigration. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said on Tuesday there was no legal basis for the citizens' action. "I believe we will indeed take another look at this if this phenomenon continues ... I also assume that the authorities will end such measures," Dobrindt, who introduced stricter border controls and immediate rejections for asylum seekers last month, said in an emailed statement to Reuters. The head of Germany's Federal Police Union, Andreas Rosskopf, said the Dutch authorities' reaction had been "a bit too little", and urged greater efforts to avoid escalation. "It must be clear that citizens without legal authority have no right to intervene, to monitor, and ultimately to carry out the tasks of the security authorities, the police authorities," Rosskopf told journalists. Dutch broadcaster RTL reported that police found no criminal offence when they arrived at the scene. Caretaker Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said citizens' frustration was understandable but that they must not take the law into their own hands. "Let the police and military police do their job," he said on social media platform X on Sunday. Dutch immigration has slowed significantly from a peak in 2022. The Netherlands received almost two first-time asylum applications per 1,000 inhabitants in 2024, slightly below the EU average, according to Eurostat data.
