Outrage as German Bundestag supports  controversial Repatriation Improvement Act

Outrage is trailing German Bundestag support for  the  controversial Repatriation Improvement Act.

SOS Humanity (International) is irked that instead of supporting the coalition agreement, the German #Bundestag voted in favour of the controversial “Repatriation Improvement Act”.

“Thursday evening, the German #Bundestag voted in favour of the controversial “Repatriation Improvement Act”. The governing parties have broken their promise in the coalition agreement. Instead of ending “the suffering at the external borders” & advocating for “a state-coordinated and European-supported sea rescue programme” as noted in the coalition agreement, the exact opposite is now happening: tightening asylum laws and the biggest attempt to criminalise civil sea rescue in Germany ever!,” SOS Humanity said.

“We are appalled and angry,” stated our advocacy manager Marie Michel in her speech to the Bundestag the day before yesterday before it voted on the legislation. “This criminalisation of altruistic help is a scandal and contradicts our fundamental democratic values!”

On Thursday, the members of parliament had the opportunity to “avert this political catastrophe and stand up for human rights,” warned Marie Michel. Their decision not to do so leaves us stunned and is an indictment of human rights in Germany!

Humanitarian aid must never be criminalised – not on land and not at sea!