Shortly before the general election And then Merz calls the AfD "intolerable"

In an interview with Tijen Onaran, Friedrich Merz has called for a new immigration system for Germany. He wants to control migration in a targeted manner, curb xenophobia and rely on a digital agency - including a clear distinction from the AfD.

In the "MUT" talk with Tijen Onaran, CDU leader Friedrich Merz presented a comprehensive reform concept for immigration policy. He emphasized how important migration is for Germany's economic and social success - and spoke out clearly against xenophobia, which he blames primarily on the AfD.

"Uncontrolled migration has triggered fears of foreigners, which have unfortunately also been transferred to successful immigration stories," Merz explained in the podcast. He then launched into a sweeping attack. "This intolerable AfD is primarily responsible for this." However, Germany can only remain a strong, respectful country if the migration problem is tackled in a targeted manner.

Merz sharply criticizes AfD

Merz particularly emphasized the role of people with a migration background in science, research and business start-ups. In his home state of North Rhine-Westphalia, development would have been "much worse" without immigration.

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Merz sharply criticized the AfD: "Immigration has made Germany stronger, and that must remain the case. But the AfD is instrumentalizing fears and dividing our society. We must allay the population's fears."

As a solution, he presented a completely new immigration system: "We propose to regulate migration to Germany differently - via a purely digital agency. Anyone who wants to work here and is needed should not have to take the detour of applying for asylum."

According to Merz, this system would enable targeted immigration, strengthen the labor market and promote social cohesion at the same time.