The domestic policy spokesman for the Union faction, Alexander Throm, has criticized the government’s proposal for a right of residence for those who have been tolerated for a long time. “The Federal Minister of the Interior’s plans for a permanent right to stay for people who are only tolerated create a massive incentive for unauthorized migration to Germany,” said the CDU politician to the editorial network Germany (RND). “In addition, the traffic light coalition is undermining the right to asylum with its initiative.”

The Ministry of the Interior had previously submitted a draft for the introduction of a so-called opportunity right of residence agreed in the coalition agreement. This is intended for those who, as of January 1, 2022, “have been living in Germany for five years or more and are well integrated, but only have a Duldung,” said Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on Tuesday. Those who benefit from the planned rule should initially be given a one-year right of residence.

Throm criticized: “It must make a difference whether an asylum procedure ends with a protection status or the asylum application is rejected. But if a rejected application for asylum also leads to being allowed to stay legally in Germany permanently, then an asylum procedure would be largely pointless.” The coalition in the European Union is thus “taking a dangerous special path”.

Faeser promoted the project, which is to be launched before the summer break: “With our right of residence, we will ensure that people who are well integrated also have good prospects,” she told RND. “We are ending the previous practice of chain tolerance. This will also end the bureaucracy and the insecurity for people who have long been well integrated.” She emphasized that criminals were excluded from the regulation. “Equally excluded are people who prevented their deportation due to false information.”

Toleration means that a foreigner is actually obliged to leave the country, but deportation has been temporarily suspended. According to the Interior Ministry, 242,029 tolerated foreigners were staying in Germany on December 31, 2021, 104,444 of them for more than five years.