Merkel Criticizes Merz's Immigration Policy in Germany

Former Chancellor Angela Merkel has distanced herself from the government's immigration policy, suggesting that border rejections constitute a violation of European law. She made the remarks during a dinner with migrants at a Syrian restaurant in Berlin, 10 years after her famous phrase "we can do it."

Merkel emphasized that anyone declaring their intention to seek asylum at the border should have access to a legal procedure, in accordance with European law. She also urged that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) not be allowed to dictate immigration policy.

Chancellor Minister Torsten Frei defended Merkel's phrase, while the President of the Federal Administrative Court, Andreas Korbmacher, questioned the government's ability to maintain its current policy in the long term, calling Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt's interpretation regarding the deportation of Somalis at the border with Poland "not entirely correct."