Berlin – ESI at taz: Humane migration control is possible

19 September 2025
taz Berlin. Photo: flickr/Fred Romero
taz Berlin. Photo: flickr/Fred Romero

ESI’s Gerald Knaus participated in a roundtable organized by the German newspaper ‘taz, die tageszeitung’ in Berlin. The subject of the roundtable was “Wie geht humane Flüchtlingspolitik?” Gerald was joined by journalists Gilda Sahebi and Ahmad Katlesh, with taz journalist Tobias Bachmann moderating.

Gerald noted that migration control has a wide base of democratic support in Europe. The far-right has argued that Europe can only control its borders through illegal and inhumane methods, such as pushbacks, mass deportations, or even shootings. The seeming lack of alternatives proposed by democratic parties has allowed these extremist parties to surge in popularity, topping polls in France, Austria, and even Germany.

Emphasizing the urgency of this development, Gerald argued that irregular migration can be reduced humanely and without abandoning the rule of law. He pointed to the sharp decline in both illegal crossings and migrant deaths after the signing of the 2016 EU–Turkey agreement as an example of one such solution. Building off of this framework, Gerald proposed a migration arrangement between the UK and EU member states under which the EU would accept the return of migrants who cross the Channel irregularly, while the UK would commit to resettling refugees directly from EU countries. Gerald added that, if successful, such an approach could later be replicated with partners beyond Europe’s shores.