Merz and “social tourism”: CDU boss apologizes

Friedrich Merz

“We are now experiencing social tourism from these refugees.”

(Photo: IMAGO/Christian Spicker)

Berlin CDU leader Friedrich Merz has apologized for his statement about “social tourism” by Ukrainian refugees to Germany. “If my choice of words is felt to be hurtful, then I apologize in all forms,” ​​Merz wrote on Twitter on Tuesday morning after he had received severe criticism for his statements on the Internet.

Merz said in a picture TV interview broadcast on Monday evening: “We are now experiencing social tourism from these refugees: to Germany, back to Ukraine, to Germany, back to Ukraine.”

Now he regrets the use of the word “social tourism”. This is an “inaccurate description of a problem that can be observed in individual cases,” Merz continues.

The reference had only applied to the lack of registration of the refugees. “It was and is far from my intention to criticize the refugees from Ukraine, who are confronted with a hard fate,” the politician tweeted.

Top jobs of the day

Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.

The background to the statement, according to Merz: Initially, Ukraine refugees were entitled to care under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act – since June they have received basic security, i.e. the same benefits as Hartz IV recipients.

In his own words, Merz expects even greater problems with refugees from Russia “if the Federal Government did what the Federal Minister of the Interior suggested, namely to give practically all conscientious objectors to military service mobilization in Russia access to the Federal Republic of Germany”. The Union is “strictly opposed”.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) had told the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung” that deserters threatened with severe repression usually received international protection in Germany. “Anyone who courageously opposes the regime of President Vladimir Putin and therefore puts themselves in the greatest danger can apply for asylum in Germany because of political persecution.” However, the granting of asylum is a case-by-case decision, which also includes a security check.

After Merz’s statements on Monday evening, Faeser recalled that “social tourism” was voted the nonsense of the year 2013. The use of this expression is also unworthy of every Democrat in 2022, she wrote on Twitter.

The deputy editor-in-chief of the “Bild” newspaper, Paul Ronzheimer, also expressed criticism on Twitter and asked Merz to apologize for the choice of words, which he then did a few hours later.

More: All developments in the Ukraine war in the live blog

source site-11