Overview
- Local officials and practitioners in Rheinland-Pfalz report that people with migration backgrounds feel disappointed and unsettled weeks after the remarks.
- Merz initially linked visible urban problems to migration and cited large-scale returns, later specifying migrants without permanent status who do not work or follow rules.
- Manuel Vicente cautions that casting diversity as a flaw weakens social cohesion and could deter international skilled workers Germany seeks to attract.
- Peimaneh Nemazi-Lofink highlights a weak welcome culture and limited language-course access, calling the tone of the debate poisonous for society.
- Political responses diverge as Julia Klöckner rejects racism accusations and defends Merz’s point, while Cem Özdemir urges clearer, solution-oriented language from the chancellor.