Merz rebuffs US on migration: We decide our own policy

WISE NEWS PRESS / BERLIN, GERMANY — NOVEMBER 27, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sharply criticized the US State Department's instruction to its diplomats to lobby against "pro-migration policies," stating that Berlin does not need warnings from the outside regarding migration management.

Washington's attempt to pressure European capitals to implement stricter migration rules has sparked a new debate in transatlantic relations, with the Merz government underscoring that migration policy is a matter of national sovereignty. Speaking in Berlin on Thursday, Merz sent a message that the US should not interfere in Europe's internal affairs.

"We make the decision"

Chancellor Merz warned that the US should not get involved in European migration policy, emphasizing that Germany sets its own roadmap. Arguing that the country has been on the "right track" since the change of government, Merz used the following expressions:

"Migration policy concerns us. We decide whether it is right or not. We do not need warnings from outside."

Reminding that a new common European asylum and migration policy is in preparation, Merz stated that Europe would manage this process with its own strength and make decisions independently.

Diplomatic pressure instruction from Washington

Merz's reaction came after a controversial instruction sent by the US administration to its diplomatic missions. According to a Reuters report, Washington sent a document to embassies in Europe, Canada, and Australia, asking diplomats to strive for "more restrictive migration policies."

The instruction argued that mass migration and crimes involving "individuals of migrant origin" threaten public safety and social cohesion in the West. In diplomatic notes, the US State Department requested that host governments be "encouraged to implement policies that protect their citizens from the negative social impacts of mass migration."

Trump administration's migration strategy

US President Donald Trump continues to center anti-migration policies in his second term. Having built his election campaign on combating irregular migration, the Trump administration went for a record restriction by lowering the refugee admission cap to 7,500 for the 2026 fiscal year. This figure was at the level of 100,000 during the previous administration.

As one of the most significant migrant-receiving countries in Europe, Germany remains a focal point of US diplomacy. It is known that circles close to Trump look sympathetically upon right-wing populist movements across Europe, such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD).

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