Dobrindt: "Citizens expect political change from us"

"Citizens expect political change from us," Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in the Bundestag, Germany's lower house of parliament, after taking office last week under Chancellor Friedrich Merz's new conservative-led coalition government.

The interior minister, from the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union (CSU), argued that the change has now begun on Germany's borders.

Shortly after taking over the ministry, Dobrindt ordered tougher border checks, allowing officials to turn back migrants even if they apply for asylum.

Addressing his coalition partners from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) on Friday, Dobrindt said he knows the crackdown is "a longer road" for the centre-left party than for Merz's conservative bloc. "Let us tackle this task together."

Irregular migration, he said, jeopardizes "the stability of our country."

He also announced increased deportations, including to Afghanistan and Syria. Deporting migrants to the two countries, despite questions over their governments' support for human rights, was a major campaign issue ahead of February's parliamentary elections.

Dobrindt further argued that police powers must be increased, and that officers should no longer be placed under general suspicion.

He rejected proposals by the previous centre-left coalition for police to be required to issue receipts after stopping people in public places when asked for - a policy meant to combat racial profiling - and for mandatory identification for officers.