Dear Mr. CDU Federal Chairman, dear Mr. Merz,
dear Mr. CSU Party Chairman, dear Dr. Söder,
dear Mr. EPP Group Chairman, dear Mr. Weber,
We read with great concern the reports about the close coordination of policy positions between the EPP Group and members of far-right groups in the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
These events undermine the clear demarcation from the extreme right in parliamentary practice, a principle emphasized by the CDU and CSU. The red line you yourselves set—no agreements with far-right forces—has been clearly crossed here. We emphatically remind you of your own promises: uphold democratic principles—for the sake of Europe and in light of domestic challenges.
A Europe of freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law is incompatible with the extreme right. With its program of a national "Europe of Fatherlands," the extreme right is lighting the fuse on the European project, for which Christian Democratic forces campaigned extensively after 1945 and which they helped to build.
We expressly welcome your public criticism of these events. The crucial task now is to draw the right political conclusions from them. On March 26, you have the opportunity to send a clear signal: The EPP can vote against the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs' decision on the Return Regulation in plenary and return to the negotiating table with the democratic groups. Democracy means exchange, negotiations, and compromises. However, one thing must remain unwaveringly clear: human rights are indivisible, and the rule of law applies to everyone. European asylum and migration policy must not undermine these principles.
It is precisely here, in the respect for human rights, that the major weaknesses of the current draft Return Regulation lie. In particular, the planned deportation centers outside the EU, even for families with children, as well as the expansion of detention pending deportation, pose significant risks to the protection of fundamental rights under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
We therefore appeal to you,
- to ensure a clear and binding demarcation from the extreme right, also in the European context,
- not to pursue the present draft of the return regulation in its current form and
- to advocate for an asylum and migration policy that remains consistently committed to the rule of law and human rights standards.
Best regards
Federal organizations
ACCICE
Action Community Service for Peace (AGDF)
AWO Federal Association e. V.
Borderline-Europe - Human Rights Without Borders eV
Federal Roma Association eV
Federal Association for Minors and Refugees (BuMF) eV
Federal Association for the Support of People in Immigration Detention (BUMAH)
The Paritätische Gesamtverband
German Women's Council
Refugee Aid Iran eV 2010
FORUM HUMAN RIGHTS. Network of German Human Rights Organizations
GermanDream
Handicap International eV
Hand in Hand #WeAreTheFirewall
HÁWAR.help
Jesuit Refugee Service Germany
Kabul Airlift
No Interest in Nazis eV
LSVD+ - Association Queer Diversity
matteo - Church and Asylum eV
medica mondiale
medico international
MISSION LIFELINE International
New Association of Judges
Ecumenical Federal Working Group Asylum in the Church e.V.
Penager e.V., the nationwide online counselling center for refugees
PRO ASYL Federal Working Group BAG
Radical Democratic Educational Association e.V.
Republican Lawyers' Association e.V. (RAV)
Roma Center e.V.
Save the Children Germany
SOLWODI Germany e.V.
SOS Humanity
Foundation against Racism
Teachers for Future Germany e.V.
Terre des Hommes
United4Rescue – Saving Together e.V.
Association of Binational Families and Partnerships, iaf e.V.
Yezidi Forum e.V.
#LeaveNoOneBehind
State organizations
Deportation Detention Counseling North
AWO State Association Bavaria e.V.
Bavarian Refugee Council
Berlin VVN-BdA e.V.
Diakonie Hesse
Elisi Evi
e.V. Etehad e.V.
Refugee Council Berlin e.V.
Refugee Council Brandenburg e.V.
Refugee Council Hamburg e.V.
Refugee Council Mecklenburg-
Western Pomerania
Refugee Council Lower Saxony e.V. Refugee Council
Rhine -Westphalia e.V. Refugee Council Rhineland-Palatinate e.V.
Refugee Council Saxony-Anhalt e.V.
Refugee Council Schleswig-Holstein e.V. Refugee Council Thuringia e.V.
Promotion of Probation Services in Hesse e.V.
Hessian Refugee Council
Initiative Committee for Migration Policy in Rhineland-Palatinate
Intercultural Counseling and Meeting Center IBBC e.V.
kargah e.V.
State Integration Council North Rhine-Westphalia
lifeline - Guardianship Association in the Refugee Council Schleswig-Holstein e.V.
MigraNetz Thuringia e.V.
PASSAGE non-profit company for work and integration mbH
PLANB Ruhr gGmbH
Saxon Refugee Council e.V.
SozDia Foundation Berlin
Teachers for Future Lower Saxony
Local organizations
AHF – AIDS-Hilfe Frankfurt eV
Ak Asyl Friedrichsdorf eV
Akademische Bildungsplattform eV
Akm Lüdenscheid eV
Alevitische Gemeinde Hamm & Umgebung eV
Angekommen Wiesbaden eV
Arbeit und Bildung eV
Arbeitskreis Asyl Cuxhaven e. V.
Working Group of Critical Lawyers Bremen
Attac Regional Group Essen
Training instead of Deportation (AsA) eV
AWO District Association Lower Rhine eV
Advisory Board for Migration and Integration Kusel
Bellevue di Monaco eG
biku gGmbH
Alliance "Neunkirchen for Diversity"
Alliance for Tolerance and Human Rights in the District of Regensburg eV
Colorful instead of Brown eV Forchheim
Citizens' Initiative 'Cadenberge Helps'
Café International Büchenbeuren
CEC-Connect eV
Democracy Workshop-RE
The Child Protection Association Duchy of Lauenburg
German-Turkish Association Cologne eV
The Instigators eV Stuttgart
"the anticapitalistas" the red song duo from the Wesermarsch Wesermarsch
one world network Oberhausen
Yazidi Academy
FAPRIK
Refugee Aid Schönkirchen eV
Refugee Initiative Lohmar-Siegburg eV Refugee
Council Düsseldorf
Refugee Council Krefeld eV
Refugee Council Oberhausen eV
Refugee Council Velbert eV
Support Association for Refugee Aid Andernach eV
Women's Center Rüsselsheim eV
Friends of Asylum Denzlingen eV
Friends of Asylum Schwäbisch Hall
For a Colorful Trier - Together Against the Right eV
Non-profit Society for the Support of Asylum Seekers (GGUA) e. V.
Helferkreis Asyl Worms eV
Hürther Brücke der Kulturen eV
I Have Rights eV
IBIS - Interkulturelle Arbeitsstelle für Forschung, Dokumentation, Bildung und Beratung eV
IMAG eV - Initiative für eine menschenfreundliche Empfang Geflüchteter
Initiative für Kinder, Jugend und Gemeinwesenarbeit eV
Initiative Mehrsprachigkeit eV
Initiative Neue Nachbarn Rudolstadt
InitiativGruppe - Interkulturelle Begegnung und Bildung eV
Institut für angewandte Kulturforschung eV, ifak
INTERKULTURELLES BILDUNGSZENTRUM „UNIVERSUM“ eV IBU
Interkulturelles Frauenzentrum SUSI
Internationaler Kulturkreis Moers eV
Jugendmigrationsdienst Nordfriesland
Kölner Flüchtlingsrat eV
Kölner Verbund der Migrantenorganisationen (KVMO) eV
kulturgrenzenlos eV
LEADERSHIP RHEIN-MAIN gUG
Lernen fördern eV, Kreisverband Steinfurt
LIGA - Leininger Initiative gegen Röntgenfeindlichkeit
Marler Flüchtlingsinitiative (MARLFIN)
MediNetz - Essen eV
Migrantinnentreff Gülistan
MTK Against the Right
Multicultural Center Trier
Munich Refugee Council
Asylum and Integration
Network Refugee Aid Freudenberg
Network for Refugees Rödermark
Network Church Asylum Saxony
Nuremberg Human Rights Center (NMRZ)
Open! For a Solidarity-Based Society
Ecumenical Refugee Aid Rhine-Ahr e.V.
Grandmas Against the Right Forchheim
GRANDMAS AGAINST THE RIGHT Frankfurt Uffbasse
GRANDMAS AGAINST THE RIGHT SAAR
PAHN – Political Working Group Helper Circles Region Nuremberg
Cross-Party Initiative JHQ
PaSo gGmbH
Planerladen gGmbH
Queer Center Wiesbaden e.V.
Refugee Law Clinic Bonn e.V.
Refugee Law Clinic Bremen
Refugee Law Clinic Cologne e. V.
Refugee Law Clinic Hannover eV
Refugee Law Clinic Kiel eV
Refugee Law Clinic Konstanz eV
Refugio München
Refugium eV Braunschweig
Rom eV - Roma self-organization for participation, education and culture
SC Aleviten Paderborn eV
Seebrücke Berlin
Seebrücke Bochum
Seebrücke Brühl
Seebrücke Detmold
Seebrücke Essen
Seebrücke Gronau
Seebrücke Köln
Seebrücke Krefeld
Seebrücke Neustadt/Wstr.
Seebrücke Osnabrück
Signale eV/polit. Choir
SOFRA Queer Migrants eV,
Stadtteilarbeit eV,
STATTwerke eV,
Sub eV - Gay-Queer Center Munich,
Turkuaz eV,
Türöffner eV,
Association of Volunteer Refugee Helpers Bavaria, unserVETO
Association "Life in a Foreign Land eV" since 1986,
wif eV - Encounter & Counseling,
Welcome to Moselstraße,
We'll Tackle It eV,
WiW - Citizens' Initiative, Welcome to Wöllstein eV,
Zaki - Education and Culture eV,
Center for Democracy and Human Rights eV, ZDM