Coalition Meets Deputy Chair of the Bundestag Human Rights Committee
16 October 2025
As part of its ongoing national‑level advocacy to strengthen Germany’s response to transnational repression (TNR), the Coalition Against Transnational Repression in Germany met with MP Norbert Altenkamp, Member of the Bundestag for the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Deputy Chair of the Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid.
The Coalition was represented in this meeting by:
- Tibet Initiative Deutschland e.V.
- Law and Democracy Support Foundation e.V.
- Civil Society Forum e.V.
During the meeting, the Coalition outlined persistent challenges faced by individuals targeted by foreign authoritarian states while residing in Germany. These include the absence of a clear and accessible mechanism for reporting TNR, limited expertise and coordination among relevant authorities, and insufficient institutional recognition of TNR as both a human rights violation and a national security threat.
The Coalition also presented key recommendations from its April 2025 policy paper, emphasising that Germany must move from political acknowledgement to concrete, enforceable protection measures. Among the recommendations discussed were the establishment of a central, trusted national contact point for reporting and documenting TNR; improved inter‑agency coordination and rapid warning systems; and the creation of trauma‑informed counselling and legal‑psychological support services for affected individuals.
The Coalition further stressed the need for systematic training of asylum authorities, law enforcement, and other first responders on TNR tactics — including those below the criminal threshold — as well as the development of preventive legal and diplomatic tools to hold perpetrators accountable. These include advocating for EU‑level sanctions, restricting the export and misuse of surveillance technologies, and ensuring that exiled dissidents can exercise their rights, including safe participation in demonstrations and fair access to asylum
The Coalition welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the Deputy Chair of the Bundestag Human Rights Committee and emphasised its commitment to collaborating with policymakers to ensure that Germany fulfils its obligations to protect all individuals on its territory from cross‑border repression.
