CSU Calls for Major Migration Overhaul With Deportations and Benefit Curbs

The Christian Social Union (CSU) is pushing for stricter migration policies in Germany. In a draft resolution ahead of its upcoming caucus meeting in the Bundestag, CSU lawmakers are calling for the rapid return of most Syrian refugees to their home country, according to the Münchner Merkur. The draft calls for a “major deportation offensive” in 2026, including scheduled flights to Syria and Afghanistan.

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The paper quotes the draft, noting that the Syrian civil war is over, the country is rebuilding with German support, and “for most Syrians who were granted temporary protection in Germany due to the war, their reason for protection no longer exists. They are needed in their homeland.”

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For refugees who do not leave voluntarily, the CSU demands that deportations “be carried out as quickly as possible.” The party also wants criminal offenders deported as a first step. The draft states that refugees who take vacations in their home country should “automatically lose their protection status, as their actions disprove their need for protection.”

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CSU lawmakers are also advocating a stricter approach for the larger group of Ukrainian refugees. The Merkur reports the draft stating: “We will push that able-bodied Ukrainian men contribute to the defense of their country.”

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Additionally, the CSU calls for all asylum seekers, regardless of origin, to use their assets to cover the costs of their stay in Germany. This measure would apply at least to Ukrainians who arrived after April 2025 under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act. On economic migration, the CSU is demanding stricter rules to prevent social welfare abuse. Currently, EU citizens are granted freedom of movement with as little as 5.5 hours of weekly work. The CSU draft proposes narrowing the definition of “employee” under the EU Free Movement Directive.

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CSU parliamentary group leader Alexander Hoffmann told the newspaper: “Labor migration to Germany must not be a route for poverty migration. We want the EU directive to reflect real employment while excluding welfare dependency.” Hoffmann added that “mafia-controlled migration flows and organized welfare fraud” must be stopped.

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