After hours of negotiations, the federal and state governments agreed at the refugee summit in the Chancellery: the federal government will provide the states with an additional billion euros this year for the care of refugees.
Prime ministers and federal government representatives concluded their high-level meeting on refugee policy with an agreement. The federal government wants to provide the federal states with an additional billion euros this year for the care of refugees. In November, a decision will be made on the need for additional funds.
The states and municipalities of the federation had been demanding that the federal government participate more and more in financing the accommodation, care and integration of those seeking protection. Before the start of the meeting, the federal government referred to the billions in contributions it had already made.
Scholz: “Good morning from German federalism”
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said at the final press conference that immigration was and will remain a “great task” and that cities and towns are doing “extraordinary things”. The meeting was “constructive and good”, he said after the Chancellery deliberations. “I think this is a good day for the German federalism we have today.”
Specifically, counties will be further relieved with the additional billions and digitization of immigration authorities funded.
Wüst: “More wasn’t in it”
According to the Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hendrik Wüst (CDU), the current decision is still not enough for municipalities. Increasing the refugee subsidy by €1 billion is useful, but it is not enough for municipalities because it is just a one-time payment.
“There was more to it,” said Wüst. “You have to say it so clearly today.” The federated states still have not received an answer to the central question of permanently greater participation by the federal government.
Lower Saxony Prime Minister Stephan Weil also has other funding issues to be clarified: “The discussion is not over, it will continue in great depth,” said the SPD politician.
Countries want “respiratory system”
The federal and state governments first want to clarify to each other how funding might be regulated in the future. Ahead of the meeting, countries called for a dynamic funding system that would automatically adjust to the growing number of asylum seekers and refugees. Participants said that a working group would be set up to deal with the issue of such a “respiratory system”.
According to the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (Bamf), 101,981 initial asylum applications were made in Germany in the first four months of the year. That was 78% more than the same period last year. Many municipalities find themselves on the brink when it comes to accommodating and caring for refugees.
Chancellor does not rule out border controls
Faced with the increase in the number of refugees, Scholz did not rule out border controls for other countries neighboring Germany. It is “important that we guard our own borders well,” he said. He referred to existing controls in Austria and said: “Depending on the situation, we will also take similar measures in other neighboring countries or intensify veil searches.”
The states of Bavaria, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt welcomed “the federal government’s willingness to introduce internal border controls adapted to the situation” in a protocol statement in the meeting’s resolution document. “It also makes sense to step up the search for people wearing veils, as shown, for example, by the numerous apprehensions of the Bavarian border police.”