Heidelberg – ESI keynote speech at the Heidelberg Migration Symposium

14 November 2024
Gerald Knaus
Photo: Klaus Hecke 

ESI’s Gerald Knaus was invited to give a keynote speech at the third Heidelberg Migration Symposium, organised by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of  Justice and for Migration. The event, titled “Does our asylum law live up to its responsibility?”, focused on migration, integration, and the resilience of the asylum system

In his speech, “How the right to asylum is dying – Germany, Europe and the world’s refugees,” Gerald highlighted three interlinked crises facing Europe today: a refugee crisis, a political crisis, and a humanitarian crisis. He described the ongoing refugee crisis as the largest since the 1940s, driven by the war in Ukraine, which has displaced four million Ukrainians to the EU. However, this burden is unequally distributed: countries like Poland, Germany, and Austria are hosting the majority of refugees, while others, such as France, have taken in far fewer. Gerald also pointed to the ongoing Syrian conflict, which remains unresolved, and instability in Lebanon, both of which continue to exacerbate the refugee crisis and complicate efforts to ensure fair distribution and protection within the EU.

The political crisis, Gerald explained, is fuelled by the rise of far-right parties, such as Austria’s FPÖ and Germany’s AfD, whose anti-migrant rhetoric is further amplified by the political climate in the United States, particularly following Donald Trump’s election victory. These developments have fuelled dangerous debates around migration policy, empowering parties that advocate harsh measures like “remigration” and mass deportations, in an attempt to assert control over the migration issue.

The humanitarian crisis, Gerald argued, is marked by deaths of migrants at sea and violent pushbacks at the EU’s borders, actions that violate both international law and the rule of law. He called for a return to humane policies, such as the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement, which helped reduce deaths and irregular arrivals. He advocated for legal pathways and safe third-country agreements, which would reduce the incentive for migrants to undertake dangerous journeys through irregular channels. These measures, Gerald suggested, would provide a moral and effective solution to Europe’s migration challenges, without resorting to the extreme-right approaches gaining traction.

Gerald Knaus
Photo: Klaus Hecke
 

The humanitarian crisis, Gerald argued, is marked by deaths of migrants at sea and violent pushbacks at the EU’s borders, actions that violate both international law and the rule of law. He called for a return to humane policies, such as the 2016 EU-Turkey Statement, which helped reduce deaths and irregular arrivals. He advocated for legal pathways and safe third-country agreements, which would reduce the incentive for migrants to undertake dangerous journeys through irregular channels. These measures, Gerald suggested, would provide a moral and effective solution to Europe’s migration challenges, without resorting to the extreme-right approaches gaining traction.

 
Gerald Knaus
Photo: Klaus Hecke

On the second day of the Symposium, Gerald participated in a panel discussion on current challenges and options for action in migration policy with Siegfried Lorek (State Secretary, Ministry of Justice and for Migration Baden-Wurttemberg), Achim Brötel (President of the German County Association), and Manuel Ostermann (First Deputy Federal Chairman, German Federal Police Union). The Panel was moderated by Christian Gottschalk (Stuttgarter Zeitung/Stuttgarter Nachrichten).