When They Won't Leave

Focus, the German news magazine, did a great update today on immigration numbers for the Maghreb countries (Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco).

For all of 2015, there were 26,000 individuals who came into German from the Maghreb region.  At this point, the BAMF (the German agency for controlling and deciding your status) has made the decision over 2,605 such individuals, and only 53 were granted status.  The rest....roughly 99-percent were refused the chance to stay.

So that brings us to the issue of what happened to the folks who failed?  Well....more or less nothing. So far in 2016 (first quarter numbers only).....only 57 citizens from this region have accepted a ticket back home.  The rest are still in Germany.

Whatever government money or social help that they had coming to them....is a question mark.  No one says much.

Arrest or detention?  No.  If they are in some immigration center.....they likely still have a room, and get three hot meals a day.  If they are employed somewhere?  They probably continue working.

The 57 given status?  It's a curious thing....the journalists didn't say a word, and I doubt that they asked any more questions of the government.  The government certainly didn't volunteer how they came through the process.  Maybe they were gay.....or Christians?  You just don't know.

Now, it's also curious how this information came up....because the German government wasn't going to volunteer the data.  A member of the Linke Party requested this at a public forum.

Whether the coalition government (CDU-CSU-SPD) likes it or not.....this delay in getting those folks to leave fits easily into negative news and simply generates more enthusiasm for the AfD or anti-coalition voters. In a way....the lack of action only incites Germans to be frustrated and angry with the results of immigration.  The pro-immigration crowd?  They mostly center their message on the Maghreb countries and continue to ask if it's 'safe' or not.  If it's unsafe, then the BAMF would be forced to allow all of the applicants to stay.

Fixing this?  Virtually impossible with the situation as it is today, and the coalition government.  Even a year from now....the vast majority of failed applicants will still be in Germany.  The only change might be that the applicants have fallen off the radar screen and be untrackable in Germany.....which will only infuriate the public even more.