FAQ
Status: 10/11/2022 07:53 a.m
Too many people, too little support: cities and municipalities feel overwhelmed with the accommodation of refugees. Federal Minister of the Interior Faeser invited to the summit today. What are the sticking points?
the initial situation
The number of refugees from Ukraine has fallen somewhat since the beginning of the war. Nevertheless, more and more federal states are apparently having difficulties accommodating people. And: Apparently the distribution doesn’t work. This is also due to the fact that – according to the Association of Towns and Municipalities – the “large number of Ukrainian refugees” are concentrated in a few cities such as Berlin, Hanover or Dortmund. The number of refugees from Ukraine could also increase again with the start of the cold season. The City Day expects that many cities will have to accommodate refugees in hotels, gyms or other facilities in winter.
In addition, the number of refugees from other regions of the world is increasing again. Experts explain this, among other things, with the elimination of travel restrictions due to the pandemic. In addition, the admission of conscientious objectors from Russia and a worsening conflict in Iran could exacerbate the situation. And: More people could also make their way from Afghanistan.
How many refugees are arriving and what countries are they from?
On October 3, the Central Register of Foreigners (AZR) recorded a total of 1,002,763 people who had entered Germany since February 24, 2022 in connection with the war in Ukraine. This is announced by the Federal Ministry of the Interior. The numbers of the federal police would now indicate a reduction in the number of arrivals. In the first week of September, around 360 people entering the country were recorded by the federal police every day.
However, some of them may already have left the country. Also, not all Ukraine refugees register immediately. Ukrainian refugees do not have to apply for asylum.
According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, 132,618 applications for asylum were registered by the end of August this year, of which 115,402 were first-time applications. Syrians make up the largest group with 35,138 applications, followed by applications from people from Afghanistan with 23,262, and 11,034 Iraqis have also applied for asylum. 1851 applications were counted from people of Russian nationality. According to the Interior Minister, however, there is a very strong shift in Austria with regard to the countries of origin. This is because, especially in Serbia, some citizens – for example from India and Bangladesh – are allowed to enter without a visa.
Compared to the previous year, the number of asylum applications increased. Were it in this August 18,355the number was in Aug 2021 at 13,961.
How are people registered?
All asylum seekers arriving in Germany must report to a government agency immediately upon or after their arrival. This can happen at the border or later inland. Asylum seekers are then forwarded to the nearest initial reception facility. Your data will be registered, stored in the Central Register of Foreigners and compared with data from the Federal Criminal Police Office. For example, it is checked whether it is a first application, a follow-up application or possibly a multiple application. A Europe-wide system (EURODAC) is also used to determine whether another European state could be responsible for the asylum application within the framework of the Dublin procedure.
Does this also apply to refugees from Ukraine?
no Those seeking protection from Ukraine do not have to go through a lengthy asylum procedure. In addition, they have a direct right to social benefits, education, accommodation and a work permit throughout the EU.
How is the distribution regulated?
The distribution process is based on the so-called Königstein key. He divides federal states according to inhabitants and tax revenue. A fixed admission quota is intended to ensure fair distribution across the federal states.
North Rhine-Westphalia (21.1%), Bavaria (15.6%) and Baden-Württemberg (13%) currently have the highest rates, while Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (2%), Saarland (1.2%) and Bremen have the lowest (1 %). People who have fled Ukraine are actually distributed according to the same procedure, although the equal distribution was sometimes interrupted at the request of individual countries, the Federal Ministry of the Interior said in the summer.
What do states and municipalities require?
Above all, the federal states are demanding better distribution of the refugees – and more money from the federal government. Accommodation and care are among the major tasks for municipalities and states, said NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst. “You need money for that.” According to the CDU politician, the follow-up regulation promised by the chancellor is now needed to finance the refugee costs.
Several countries have recently spoken out in favor of a freeze on admissions. This also stalls the distribution of refugees. In total, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria housed and cared for more than a quarter of the refugees who arrived nationwide. According to the dpa news agency, Baden-Württemberg has taken in around 130,000 Ukrainian refugees and around 15,400 asylum seekers so far this year. According to the information, there are more than 148,000 war refugees from Ukraine and almost 22,000 asylum seekers in Bavaria.
According to information from the Federal Ministry of the Interior, nine of the 16 federal states have activated a block in the initial distribution system. According to reports, these are North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia and Saarland. City Council Vice President Burkhard Jung warned that the federal states should not shirk their responsibility to take in more refugees.
Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), criticized the fact that the federal government, given the already high number of newcomers, is sending the wrong signals if it continues to start additional admission programs or set further false incentives, such as the reform of citizen income or the introduction of the right of residence. The federal government must finally do justice to its financial responsibility in the area of asylum and integration.
Municipalities complain that there are not enough places in schools and day-care centers. The President of the Association of Cities, Marcus Lewe, recalled “the promise made by the federal and state governments in April to review and adjust cost reimbursement if the need increases”. In April, the federal and state governments agreed that war refugees from Ukraine would receive basic state security from June 1st, i.e. the same benefits as Hartz IV recipients. Lewe also demanded that the federal government assume full accommodation costs for Ukrainian refugees for the coming year.