Border protection in Saxony: debate about new police plans during the MDR program

Border protection in Saxony: debate about new police plans during the MDR program

On Monday, August 19, the MDR beamed a special program entitled "Fact is!" from that devoted itself to the upcoming state election in Saxony. This event took place in Dresden, just two weeks before the decisive election date. In this program, the top candidates around Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer had the opportunity to ask the audience's questions. A particularly attentive viewer was a police officer from the federal police, whose contribution caused numerous discussions.

The federal police officer, Michael Ullmann, expressed his concerns about the current migration situation and questioned the plans for a new Saxon border police who had brought about Kretschmer. Ullmann explained that the "height of the past few months" is concerned with migration. His question aimed at the concrete added value the planned border police would bring for Saxony.

A look at the identity of the questioner

Kretschmer vehemently defended his plan for a border protection unit on the show. He found that 300,000 refugees arrived in Germany last year and that it was necessary to reduce the number to 30,000 to 40,000. In his outlook, he argued that the Sächsen's border police should contribute to internal security in the border region. This includes not only the fight against drug crime, but also the containment of car theft and property crimes.

criticism and different perspectives in the studio

The announcement of its own border protection unit not only met with applause. Sabine Zimmermann from the BSW, who appears as a top candidate, directly questioned the legitimacy of such measures. She emphasized that border protection was a very own task of the federal police and that the creation of a new administrative level in Saxony would require considerable resources and changes. This could result in a profound organizational change.

also Katja Meier from the Greens said. Their constitutional doubts were to think, in particular with regard to the establishment and training of new police forces that would be needed for such a comprehensive project. In rural regions, according to Meier, the need for police officers is urgently in order to maintain the feeling of security for citizens. On the other hand, the SPD politician Petra Köpping showed understanding for Kretschmer's initiative as long as the plans are accompanied by a corresponding job increase.

In the middle of the heated debate, it turned out that the discussion about the border police is not only a question of security, but also puts the political views and the integrity of the parties to the test. How such debates are perceived in public could have far -reaching consequences for the upcoming elections in Saxony.

dynamics of the election time in Saxony

The questions raised about the border police and the political loyalities of the questions make it clear how much the upcoming elections in Saxony are characterized by conflicts. These confrontations not only focus on political actors, but also challenge the electorate to think about their priorities and values. A clear trend is emerging: The topic of internal security is particularly popular, while the different solutions indicate a split opinion in society. It remains to be seen how these debates will affect the distribution of votes in the election.

political responsibility and border protection in Saxony

The discussion about the planned Saxon border protection not only reflects the current concerns about migration, but also the area of tension between state and federal policies in Germany. In recent years, the debate about internal security and asylum policy in the country has strongly gained intensity. In particular, the increasing number of refugees who are looking for refuge in Germany has led to increased political discussions in many federal states, including Saxony.

The topic of the border police can also be seen as part of a major discourse to seek the responsibilities of the various police units in Germany. While the federal police are responsible for protecting the borders, many state politicians are in favor of support from state -owned units. This asks the question of a possible overload of the existing resources of the local police authorities.

migration and security: statistical background

According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF), the number of asylum applications in Germany rose to over 200,000 in 2022. This development has put pressure on countries such as Saxony that are on the border with Poland and the Czech Republic, to find their own solutions for the migration question. In a survey by the German Institute for Standardization, 62 % of those surveyed stated that they were concerned about the increase in migration and their effects on internal security.

In addition, a survey by the ARD in 2023 shows that 56 % of Germans support increased border control, which illustrates the popularity of the topic. This data underlines that the debate about border security in Saxony is not only locally but also nationwide and finds significant support from the population.