German federal government to pay states 7,500 euros for each refugee

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced after meeting with the prime ministers of states facing resource shortages regarding migration at a summit in Berlin that the federal government will pay 7,500 euros for each refugee accepted by the federal states starting from January 2024.

Stating that reducing illegal migration to Germany remains their common goal, Scholz said, "We have also agreed on a series of concrete measures on this issue. It is very important that we act together, because only in this way can we reach our goals at every level together."

The German government aims to direct resources toward housing asylum seekers who are truly in need of protection in Germany by reducing illegal migration.

'REFUGEE COSTS' CRISIS

The German federal government and the federal states have long been in disagreement over "refugee costs." The states had long been complaining that federal funds were not sufficient to care for newly arrived asylum seekers.

According to official figures, while there are more than 1 million Ukrainian citizens in the country, the states express the view that this situation is straining limited resources.

STATES DEMANDED AT LEAST 10 THOUSAND EUROS PER ASYLUM SEEKER

In mid-October, the states came together and demanded a payment of at least 10 thousand euros per asylum seeker from the federal government.

On the other hand, more than 230 thousand people applied for asylum in the country in the January-October period of the year. This figure corresponds to a 70 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

News Source: AA