Ravensburg – ESI presentation on Europe’s borders and humane control

24 January 2024
Gerald at discussion
Photo: ESI

ESI’s Gerald Knaus was invited by MP Axel Müller, a German judge and politician of the Christian Democratic Union, to visit the city of Ravensburg in Southern Germany.

In the afternoon, he spoke at a lunch of the “Gedankenwerkstatt”, a group of intellectuals in Ravensburg (professors, priests, entrepreneurs, high-level civil servants, and politicians) to present and discuss ESI’s ideas on migration and asylum in Germany and Europe. Afterwards, he met majors and local politicians from Ravensburg and the surrounding area to learn more about local challenges with hosting refugees and integration issues. In the evening, he gave a talk on migration and humane borders at the Kornhaus in Ravensburg.

Gerald argued that EU member states should conclude agreements with countries of origin to repatriate rejected asylum seekers and to manage regular labour migration. He also recommended establishing agreements with third countries to process asylum applications outside the EU. This approach aims to reduce irregular migration, decrease fatalities, and enable orderly migration. However, Gerald emphasised that the success of these initiatives relies on the determination of EU member states, not on EU efforts. He discussed the shortcomings of the recent EU-Tunisia deal and highlighted how Germany, particularly the state of Baden-Württemberg, responded to the Ukrainian refugee crisis by accommodating more refugees than the whole of France. To be prepared in case of a large new displacement in Ukraine in 2024, he advocated for an EU fund to share the financial burdens and to help Poland, Germany, and others hosting Ukrainians.

The following discussion with the audience was moderated by Hendrik Groth, Editor of the Schwäbische Zeitung. Ravensburg’s mayor Daniel Rapp also attended the event.

Gerald at discussion
Photo: ESI