The German parliament has narrowly rejected a contentious immigration bill, dubbed the “Influx Limitation Law,” proposed by the CDU/CSU opposition bloc. The vote ended with 349 members of parliament against the draft and 338 in favor, alongside five abstentions.
The bill sought to amend § 1(1) sentence 1 of the Aufenthaltsgesetzes (AufenthG) by reinserting the words “and limitation,” which had been previously removed by the current coalition government as part of a broader effort to develop a “modern” and “humanitarian-oriented” immigration policy. The initiative also called for measures to reduce unauthorized entries and suspension of family reunification for individuals under subsidiary protection, citing capacity constraints due to the influx of over 1.8 million asylum seekers and refugees since early 2022.
Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU/CSU and proponent of the bill, expressed disappointment in a post on X, criticizing the Social Democrats and Greens for not aligning with their vision. He emphasized the party’s resolve to seek a new majority to enact a change in asylum and immigration policy in future legislative sessions.
This decision follows a broader trend of restrictive immigration measures in Germany, including a recent non-binding motion passed for enhanced border controls and a 30% increase in deportations noted in 2024 following the implementation of the Repatriation Improvement Act.