Marking a shift in his party's rhetoric, the chairman of the SPD-Parliamentary Group, Thomas Oppermann, spoke out in favor of sending refugees arriving on boats back to North Africa. In an editorial he penned in the Sunday edition of the German daily newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung", Oppermann justified his view arguing that this would be an important step to curb human trafficking.

"In order to fight human trafficking gangs more successfully we have to deprive them of the grounds on which they conduct their business, by returning refugees saved in the Mediterranean to North Africa and attending to their needs there," Oppermann wrote.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Fleeing war and poverty In late 2014, with the war in Syria approaching its fourth year and Islamic State making gains in the north of the country, the exodus of Syrians intensified. At the same time, others were fleeing violence and poverty in countries such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Somalia, Niger and Kosovo.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Seeking refuge over the border Vast numbers of Syrian refugees had been gathering in border-town camps in neighboring Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan since 2011. By 2015, with the camps full to bursting and residents often unable to find work or educate their children, more and more people decided to seek asylum further afield.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? A long journey on foot In 2015 an estimated 1.5 million people made their way on foot from Greece towards western Europe via the "Balkan route". The Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free travel within much of the EU, was called into question as refugees headed towards the wealthier European nations.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Desperate sea crossings Tens of thousands of refugees were also attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean on overcrowded boats. In April 2015, 800 people of various nationalities drowned when a boat traveling from Libya capsized off the Italian coast. This was to be just one of many similar tragedies - by the end of the year, nearly 4,000 refugees were reported to have died attempting the crossing.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Pressure on the borders Countries along the EU's external border struggled to cope with the sheer number of arrivals. Fences were erected in Hungary, Slovenia, Macedonia and Austria. Asylum laws were tightened and several Schengen area countries introduced temporary border controls.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Closing the open door Critics of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy claimed it had made the situation worse by encouraging more people to embark on the dangerous journey to Europe. By September 2016, Germany had also introduced temporary checks on its border with Austria.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? Striking a deal with Turkey In early 2016, the EU and Turkey signed an agreement under which refugees arriving in Greece could be sent back to Turkey. The deal has been criticized by human rights groups and came under new strain following a vote by the European Parliament in November to freeze talks on Turkey's potential accession to the EU.

How did Europe's refugee crisis start? No end in sight With anti-immigration sentiment in Europe growing, governments are still struggling to reach a consensus on how to handle the continuing refugee crisis. Attempts to introduce quotas for the distribution of refugees among EU member states have largely failed. Conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere show no signs coming to an end, and the death toll from refugee sea crossings is on the rise. Author: Rachel Stewart



"The solution will not solely involve a greater level of cooperation with the broken country of Libya but will also include more stable transit countries in North Africa, including Morocco and Tunisia."

Oppermann's words come in support of an initiative by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere aimed at establishing a reception center for refugees in Tunisia and thus strengthening Europe's borders. De Maiziere last month said that some refugees should "not arrive in Europe in the first place but rather be returned to safe places."

EU leaders recently also agreed that they want to work toward expanding these centers, particularly into Libya.

Ambitious plans

Oppermann further wrote that Germany needed to do more to combat the causes of mass migration, highlighting a five-point plan at the start of what is expected to turn into a nerve-racking election year in Germany. Among other things, Oppermann demanded an increase to Germany's annual spending on aid, which currently amounts to 0.5 percent of the country's GDP. Oppermann's plans would raise this to 0.7 percent. His ideas, however, may land on deaf ears, as Germany has threatened to cut development aid to countries that refuse rejected asylum seekers.

Furthermore, he also explained that he wanted to improve border protection along the external borders of the EU, demanding greater cooperation with North African countries to stop the "mass influx" of migrants, while simultaneously improving legal channels of migration into Europe.

"If you want to combat illegal immigration, you have to create legal ways of immigration, chiefly by way of agreeing upon contingency plans involving an orderly resettlement procedure," Oppermann added. He explained that this could expand all the way to introducing "flexible" EU-wide immigration laws based on a points system, which would evaluate prospective migrants on the merit of their contributions to the work force.

Oppermann said that this could actually lead to a situation of various countries actually competing against each other to attract certain immigrants that might be needed in professional areas that are otherwise understaffed.

ss/jlw (AFP, dpa)