German MPs oppose controversial immigration law
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The German Bundestag voted against the "flow restriction law" after a heated debate. The bill was proposed by the conservative CDU/CSU bloc, which has been accused of collaborating with the far-right AfD party.
Go to next section What you need to know
What you need to know
The law under consideration on Friday would have been legally binding, unlike the motions for a stricter migration policy passed on Wednesday with the controversial support of the far-right AfD.
Migration has become a key campaign issue ahead of the February election after a series of attacks by suspected migrants.
Here is a summary of the events surrounding the German parliamentary debate and vote on the "flow restriction law" on Friday, January 31, 2025:
Go to next section Merz defies despite Bundestag's rejection of the bill.
Merz defies despite Bundestag's rejection of the bill
Chancellor candidate Friedrich Merz said he was "very encouraged" by the support of his Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, despite the parliament's vote against his migration reform.
German voters now understand that the CDU "really wants to change asylum and immigration policy," he said. "Today it is clear: Merz will do it." »
Merz, whose conservative bloc has a comfortable lead in the polls, had already raised concerns within his party by saying the legislation was so important that he was prepared to pass it with the support of Germany's far-right Alternative for the Right (AfD) party. The final results showed that 12 MPs from Merz's CDU/CSU bloc did not vote, but all those present in the Bundestag supported the bill.
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AfD's Weidel: Bundestag vote on migration law marks "Merz's dismantling"
The leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has criticized the CDU/CSU's candidate for chancellor, Friedrich Merz, after his migration reform bill was rejected by parliament on Friday.
Alice Weidel said the German parliament's rejection would mean "the implosion of a conservative people's party," adding that "it would be the dissolution of Friedrich Merz as a candidate for chancellor."
With German elections on February 23, the far-right AfD is currently second in the polls, behind Merz's conservative bloc.
Weidel said her party voted unanimously in favor of the bill. "There are no dissidents fighting a legitimate cause behind them," she said. "Friedrich Merz jumped on a tiger and ended up as a bedspread."
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