Germany's Merz rejects US pressure on European migration policy

BERLIN

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Thursday firmly rejected pressure from the Trump administration on European migration policy, stressing that such decisions remain the sovereign right of European nations.

Responding to reports that the US State Department had directed American diplomats to lobby against pro-migration policies in Europe, Merz underlined that European governments would chart their own course.

"Migration policy is our business, and we decide it as we see fit. And we in Germany have been on the right track since the change of government," the conservative leader said, referring to his coalition government taking office in May and implementing stricter policies to curb illegal migration.

"We don't need any admonitions from outside. Furthermore, we are in the process of formulating a new, common European asylum and immigration policy. We can do that on our own, and we will do it on our own," he added.

Several US media outlets reported earlier that the Trump administration had ordered American diplomats in Europe to lobby against pro-migration policies and advocate for tighter immigration regulations.

The US State Department said Friday that it has directed its embassies to report on alleged human rights consequences of mass migration in Europe, including in Britain, Sweden, and Germany.

"Mass migration poses an existential threat to Western civilization and may undermine the stability of key American allies," the department said in a statement on US social media company X.

The guidance asks embassies to gather information on policies perceived as lenient toward migrant crime and human rights abuses, as well as laws that may penalize citizens who object to mass migration.

The move comes amid the Trump administration’s broader crackdown on immigration within the US, which has included stricter border enforcement and deportations.