German parliament to vote on migration bill that could pass with far-right support

Germany’s parliament is expected to vote on an opposition bill calling for tougher rules on migration that could become the first legislation to pass thanks to a far-right party.

The vote, on Friday, adds to a controversy about the attitude of the front-runner in Germany’s upcoming election towards the far-right.

Opposition leader Friedrich Merz has put demands for a more restrictive approach to migration at the centre of his campaign for the February 23 election since a deadly knife attack last week by a rejected asylum-seeker.

The way he has done so has prompted opponents to question his commitment to upholding mainstream parties’ “firewall” against the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, and triggered protests, though he insists his position is unchanged and that he did not and will not work with the party.

On Wednesday, Mr Merz put a non-binding motion to parliament calling for Germany to turn back many more migrants at its borders, insisting that decisions are needed now regardless of who supports them.

The measure squeaked through thanks to the support of the far-right party, a first that drew a rare public rebuke from ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel, a former leader of Mr Merz’s party.

On Friday, months-old legislation proposed by Mr Merz’s centre-right Union bloc that calls for an end to family reunions for migrants with protection status that falls short of full asylum is scheduled to go to a vote.

It also would give police increased powers to carry out deportations.

The centre-left governing parties have said they will reject the “influx limitation bill”, while a combination of opposition parties, including AfD, is in favour.

It is uncertain whether it will pass and its chances of actually becoming law look uncertain at best.

It would need approval from parliament’s upper house, which represents Germany’s 16 state governments, and that looks doubtful.

But the manoeuvre has added to a growing divide between Mr Merz’s bloc, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left Social Democrats and their remaining coalition partners, the environmentalist Greens — parties he may need to form a governing coalition after the election.

Polls show Mr Merz’s Union leading with around 30% support, while AfD is second with about 20%, and the Social Democrats and Greens are further back.

Centre-left parties have accused Mr Merz of breaking a political consensus to shun the 12-year-old AfD, which first entered parliament in 2017 — benefiting from Mrs Merkel’s decision two years earlier to allow large numbers of migrants into the country.

Mr Scholz has suggested that Mr Merz can no longer be trusted not to form a government with AfD, an accusation that Mr Merz has angrily rejected.

Mr Merz insists that he has sought majorities in the political centre.

The centre-left parties have pointed the finger back at him, noting that he said there could be no compromises on his proposals.