The German Bundestag passed Friedrich Merz's so-called five-point migration plan — which promised a dramatic tightening of the country's migration and asylum law — through parliament. MPs narrowly voted in favour of turning away asylum seekers and other migrants back at Germany's borders — despite criticism that this could break both German and EU asylum law.

With less than four weeks before Germany’s federal election, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who is leading polls, will take their contentious battle over how to crack down on illegal migration to parliament.

German conservative leader Friedrich Merz on Wednesday defended his controversial migration reforms after stinging criticism from Chancellor Olaf Scholz, ahead of votes on two motions that could pass with the support of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).