- Agency Report
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has defended immigration and warned against discrimination against naturalised citizens amid heated debate over migration.
“There are no first- or second-class citizens,” Steinmeier said during a panel discussion in Berlin on Tuesday.
Steinmeier did not mention the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) by name, but his remarks appeared to challenge its hardline position on migration.
The AfD has called for large-scale deportations, including the repatriation of Syrian refugees.
At the discussion, titled “At Home in Germany: How We Live Together,” Steinmeier said Germany belonged to everyone living there lawfully and contributing to society.
He said being German was not determined by ancestry or blood, but by citizenship, whether acquired by birth or naturalisation.
The President also cited shared language, peaceful coexistence and the Constitution as elements underpinning German identity.
Steinmeier warned that attempts to categorise or rank what it means to be German amounted to an attack on the Constitution.
He, however, said people without the right to remain in Germany must leave the country.
“Those who are allowed to stay should be able to belong,” Steinmeier said, stressing access to schools, housing and healthcare.
He said those required to leave Germany must comply with the decision and depart the country.
Steinmeier said Germany needed immigration to sustain its economy and public services, including hospitals, care homes and nursing homes.
He added that the need for migrant workers now extended to large sections of Germany’s private economy. NAN