German celebrities pen open letter opposing tougher asylum policy

German actors, musicians and other celebrities wrote an open letter to the government opposing the tightening of asylum policy.
"We see that migration policy is getting lost in a contest of unworthiness. At the same time, we see that populism is gaining the upper hand in Germany as well, and solutions in the sense and service of a universally valid humanity are falling by the wayside," the letter said.
The celebrities criticized the government for wanting to agree to "the most massive tightening of EU asylum law ever," rather than improvements as had been promised.
Their concerns come amid discussion of the reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS) in the European Union. One area under consideration is whether there should be preliminary checks of asylum applications at European external borders.
The letter published on the website of the organization "LeaveNoOneBehind" is addressed to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and other lawmakers.
The organization supports "people on the run and initiatives that do the same," it says.
Signatories include singer Herbert Grönemeyer, the bands Kraftklub and Revolverheld and actors Katja Riemann and Benno Fürmann.