FDP new year reception: important issues about immigration discussed

FDP new year reception: important issues about immigration discussed

On February 6, 2025, the New Year's reception of the FDP took place in Diez, in which the Rhineland-Palatinate Minister of Justice Herbert Mertin addressed central issues on immigration and migration. Mertin illustrated the need for complex solutions in these areas in order to meet the challenges of an increasingly globalized world. He emphasized that these topics are of great importance for the future of Germany.

the reception was opened by the chairman of the FDP community association, Herbert Pechmann, who wanted to set a sign of political culture with Friedrich Schiller's “Ode to Joy”. Around 35 participants were present, whereby Pechmann emphasized the importance of political engagement with regard to the upcoming elections.

change of office in the judiciary

Another important aspect of Herbert Mertin's political engagement was also shown in a different context that day. Mertin officially completed the change at the top of the Diez and Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district courts. The President of the Higher Regional Court Koblenz, Thomas Henrichs, and the President of the Koblenz Regional Court, Stephan Rüll, were also present to welcome the new incumbent.

dr. Dennis Graf took over the position of director of the Diez District Court, while Dr. Susanne Dreyer-Mälzer was presented as the new director of the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district court. Both successors are entrusted with the challenges that had to be mastered during the corona pandemic and the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley.

• Dr. Dennis Graf - District Court Diez (successor to Eckhard Krahn since November 11, 2019)
• Dr. Susanne Dreyer-Mälzer-District Court Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (successor to Jürgen Powolny since April 1, 2020)

The District Court of Diez, with 40 employees, is one of 15 district courts in the district of the Koblenz district court and responsible for Diez, Aar-Einrich and parts of Bad Ems-Nassau. The district court in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, with a total of 41 employees, also has a central role in the region, since it is responsible for Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Adenau, Altenahr and Grafschaft.

immigration policy in Germany

Mertin's statements fit into the broader debate about immigration policy in Germany. In international comparison, Germany recorded one of the highest immigration shares, which over the years led to a continuing discussion about the definition as a country of immigration. Politicians have changed significantly since the 1970s, whereby the reforms of immigration policy were faced with various challenges.

A central element of immigration policy has been the immigration law that has been in force since January 1, 2005, which stipulates the integration of immigrants as a state task. The aim was to control the migration, taking into account economic interests, in particular the focus on highly qualified workers. In 2012 the EU Blue Card was introduced to facilitate access to the German labor market.

These historical developments bring the need for reforms and adjustments to changing global and local conditions that must also be actively addressed by politicians like Mertin in order to effectively master the challenges of immigration and integration in Germany.

The combination of political initiatives at regional and federal level will be crucial in order to successfully master the upcoming challenges in the field of immigration and integration. An impressive example of this is the current handover of the office in the judiciary, which is important for many, also in the light of social issues that are raised by migration.

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