immigration
Cities are demanding more help in accommodating refugees
Refugees arrive at an asylum center in Trier. Before the top meeting of the federal and state governments, the city council pointed out the problems in accommodating refugees. photo
© Harald Tittel/dpa
In November, the federal and state governments agreed to finance migration costs. Shortly before a new meeting on Wednesday, it’s not just the cities that are saying: More urgently needs to happen.
Before the top meeting of the federal and state governments this Wednesday, the German Association of Cities pointed out massive problems in the accommodation and integration of refugees. President Markus Lewe (CDU) told the German Press Agency: “Many people are still staying in exhibition halls or tents, including families with children.” The states would have to create significantly more places. The federal government also needs to build up its own accommodation capacities. Cities urgently need support from the federal states when it comes to integrating refugee children and young people. Union politicians once again called for an upper limit for the admission of refugees.
Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) told “Bild”: “50,000 or 60,000 refugees per year – that can’t be more for the next few years because we have such a big integration effort.” This upper limit is necessary because Germany does not have enough absorption capacity. The parliamentary director of the Union in the Bundestag, Thorsten Frei (CDU), told “Bild” that the number of asylum seekers had to be “drastically reduced”. The goal of 60,000 asylum seekers per year is “reasonable”.
Faeser: Germany is bound by international law
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had already rejected the proposal for an annual upper limit for the federal government in the fall. Upper limits are not possible because of the individual’s basic right to asylum – Germany is bound by European and international law.
In Germany, around 329,000 people made an initial application for asylum in 2023 – around 50 percent more than in 2022. The more than one million refugees from Ukraine who came to Germany since the start of the war at the end of February 2022 are not included in this because they do not have asylum must apply.
Wüst calls for more speed in limiting migration
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) has called for more decisive and faster measures to limit irregular migration. “Another year like this on top, with even more people on top, will push us to the limits of what is still possible,” said Wüst on the ARD program “Maischberger”. After the large influx of refugees in 2023, it can be assumed that this will continue this year. “But our systems are groaning,” said the CDU politician. “Almost half of the people who come to us have no permanent right to be here.”
Wüst once again campaigned for asylum procedures outside the European Union. He doesn’t believe that the Greens would ultimately have a problem if the procedures were carried out according to the rules of the European Convention on Human Rights and under the auspices of the United Nations. The CDU politician said that the asylum procedures do not have to take place in Africa, but could also take place along the escape routes. For example, Italy has made a corresponding agreement with Albania. Even if it takes one or two years until asylum procedures outside the EU are implemented, action must be taken now. “We are running into a situation of being overwhelmed,” said Wüst. “The extremists are getting stronger and thousands of people drown in the Mediterranean every year.”
Reducing legal hurdles is important for integration
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the state prime ministers want to discuss migration and asylum policy this Wednesday. In November they agreed that from 2024 the federal government would pay an annual flat rate of 7,500 euros for every person who applies for asylum in Germany for the first time. Adjusting the funds to the number of asylum seekers was a milestone, said City Council President Lewe. However, the current amount is not enough to cover the costs. The federal government must “step up its game again,” particularly when it comes to integration. The states are called upon to pass on as much of the federal funding as possible to the municipalities. This is not the case everywhere. In addition, the federal government should fully cover the costs of accommodation for refugees again.
Lewe would also like to see more speed in the removal of legal hurdles for asylum seekers willing to work and in the repatriation of asylum seekers who are obliged to leave the country and have no prospect of staying. “It is important to us that asylum seekers who are assigned to the cities are allowed to work immediately – regardless of their residence status,” he said. This would not only relieve the financial burden on cities, but also ensure better integration. Lewe was dissatisfied with the agreements announced with the countries of origin of asylum seekers. “Hardly any country of origin that has been negotiated with has made a binding commitment to take back rejected asylum seekers,” he criticized.
Ongoing “migration crisis” is causing overburdened municipalities
The German District Council also believes that further measures to limit migration are urgently needed. “The resolutions of November have not made a significant contribution to achieving more control over the refugee situation,” said association president Reinhard Sager to the “Handelsblatt”. “We are still working on the attack in the districts and also have to cope with many new refugees,” emphasized Sager. The “repatriation offensive” announced by the traffic light coalition is not taking place.
Union parliamentary group vice-president Andrea Lindholz (CSU) also accused Scholz of not having implemented the previous decisions of the federal-state round on migration. Scholz must also make new proposals to the states. “The migration crisis continues. The asylum numbers are still far too high for our completely overburdened municipalities.”