Germany. Interministerial Working Group on a Refugee concept
Published: 1990
Total Pages: 35
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In February 1990, an Interministerial working group was established to reconsider the concepts of German refugee policies in order to evaluate them and to make conceptual suggestions for improvement. With regard to the refugee situation in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), the working group noted that in recent years the number of asylum seekers had risen, while recognition rate had gone down. Most of the asylum seekers had been considered as 'economic refugees'. The analysis of the existing refugee policies of FRG found that the country was concerned with the promotion of world-wide peace, the prevention of refugee flows, and with humanitarian aid, in particular in the field of development aid. With regard to the asylum policy, based on article 16 of the Constitution, efforts had been made to reduce abuse of the procedure, mainly by speeding up this procedure. The evaluation of these policies showed that there were some gaps, and that better coordination could be obtained. The proposals formulated by the working group address the areas of foreign affairs, development cooperation, international cooperation, and asylum policy. Refugee policies of the FRG should continue to focus on the prevention of refugee flows, through foreign policy measures consisting, “inter alia”, of continued support to UNHCR, and through a better use of economic means in the framework of development cooperation. The asylum procedures should be better organized, and a preventive effect should be achieved by consequent deportation of rejected asylum seekers. The FRG should strive to coordinate its refugee policies with other industrialized countries.