Immigration security

Even Merkel Allies Demand Changes in Immigration Policy

Horst Seehofer, leader of the conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) party, a "sister party" of Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Democratic Union (CDU), has called for Merkel to introduce caps on immigration, saying there are still differences the parties must resolve before the upcoming September 2017 election, as the two parties have long enjoyed a political alliance.

According to media reports, Seehofer, who has repeatedly called to introduce a 200,000 per year cap on immigration, suggested CSU could refuse to participate in the next government, if immigration restrictions are not introduced. "We mean this demand very seriously," Seehofer told reporters. CDU and CSU, colloquially called "the Union parties," plan to hold a "reconciliation summit" this February in Munich, to "repair" relations between the two parties, which have gone cold after both Seehofer and Merkel refused to attend each other's party conference last year due to disagreement over the country's immigration policy.