Press release
October, 29th 1999

Schily: „The luxury of thinking“: New stones for the fortress
PRO ASYL: „No asylum law according to the way of lords of the manor“
„Germany isn’t EU-compatible“

The Nation-wide Human Rights Organisation PRO ASYL is shocked by the declarations of Home Secretary Otto Schily The Home Secretary newly proofs as copy of his predecessor Manfred Kanther: Sealing off borders, get out asylum-seekers, reduction of the right on asylum; all this seems to be the aims of the minister.

Schily distinguishes himself as fortress builder, for whom the sufferings and the destiny of the victims of persecution are important. In Kosovo hundreds of thousands are living under most difficult conditions, for many people the winter will become a struggle of survival. „Who plans in this situation the deportation of people, looses the eye for the dignity of man, which should be protected by the state“, said Guenter Burkhardt, managing director of PRO ASYL.

PRO ASYL insinuates to the Home Secretary the intention, to start a debate on the „individual and suable right on asylum“ in order not to draw the conclusions on the „unrestricted application of the 1951 Geneva Convention“ agreed in Tampere. The 1951 Geneva Convention provides the recognition as refugee also in the case of non-state persecution, the German asylum law doesn’t. do the same. Schily sabotages with his remarks the endeavour, to form an European asylum law on the basis of the 1951 Geneva Convention. „Instead of rising the standard of the German asylum law to the European level, he intends a low level asylum according to the way of lords of the manor“, said Guenter Burkhardt.

Doing it all in one go he tries to finish of at the same time with the individual and suable right on asylum, that inspite of its mutilation still exists in principle. PRO ASYL reminds, that the 1951 Geneva Convention contains an unconditional ban, to reject or deport endangered individuals at the border. Obviously the Home Secretary doesn’t want to take note of that.

Schily’s remarks as well as the demand of Jürgen Rüttgers, vice-chairman of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats to cut the social welfare for asylum-seekers still further, are motivated by electoral tactics.. PRO ASYL sees a direct connection with the latest electoral victories of populistic right-wing parties in Austria and Switzerland. Before the upcoming regional elections in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine Westphalia both try to serve the groups of regulars.