Share

Germany frees up funds for refugees

Berlin - The German government decided to free up additional €3bn for federal states and municipalities to help cope with this year's record influx of refugees and migrants, a joint statement by the ruling coalition issued on Monday said.

At a high-level meeting that lasted more than five hours, leaders from Chancellor Angela Merkel's governing coalition also agreed on a series of other measures, such as speeding up asylum procedures and facilitating the construction of asylum shelters.

In addition to the €3bn for states and municipalities, the government is planning to free up an additional €3bn to fund its own expenses, such as paying benefits for asylum seekers, the joint statement said.

The agreement included widening the list of countries deemed "safe", meaning their citizens generally have no claim to asylum, to include Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro. Among those already in that category are Serbia, Macedonia and Bosnia.

The aim is to speed up asylum and extradition procedures for migrants from south-eastern Europe, in order to focus on refugees from war-torn countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The coalition meeting came at the end of a weekend that saw 18 000 refugees entering the country after Germany and Austria had agreed with Hungary to waive rules requiring refugees to register an asylum claim in the first EU country they reach.

Merkel's decision to allow thousands of refugees stranded in Hungary to find a new home in Germany has caused a rift within her conservative bloc with her Bavarian allies accusing her of sending a "totally wrong signal".

Germany expects a record influx of 800 000 migrants and refugees this year, by far the most in the European Union. In August alone, more than 100 000 asylum seekers were registered in Europe's largest economy.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.2%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.43
+0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.34
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.2%
Platinum
910.50
+1.5%
Palladium
1,011.50
+1.0%
Gold
2,221.35
+1.2%
Silver
24.87
+0.9%
Brent Crude
86.09
-0.2%
Top 40
68,346
+1.0%
All Share
74,536
+0.8%
Resource 10
57,251
+2.8%
Industrial 25
103,936
+0.6%
Financial 15
16,502
-0.1%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders