The federal government is apparently not planning any significant increase in refugee aid for states and municipalities and also wants to speed up asylum procedures and deportations. This emerges from a draft paper for the refugee summit next Wednesday, which was presented to the ARD “Capital Studio” on Saturday.
The federal government is already providing billions of euros in financial support despite a budget deficit, while the federal states and municipalities recorded surpluses in the billions, the government defended the previous financial aid for federal states and municipalities.
The accusation that the federal states would not pass on the federal money in full to the cities and municipalities is also taken up in the proposed resolution. Nevertheless, several prime ministers had consistently demanded more money for the accommodation, care and integration of refugees.
In order to speed up asylum procedures, the federal government wants to get the federal states to better equip their foreigners authorities with staff and technology and to completely digitize the procedures by the end of 2024. It is also a declared goal to shorten asylum court procedures.
EU accession aspirants such as Georgia or the Republic of Moldova are to be declared safe countries of origin. Asylum applications could then be rejected more easily.
The government is also in favor of so-called central arrival centers. From there, people whose asylum applications have little chance of success can be deported directly.
With a view to the refugee summit, the German districts had previously demanded clear decisions from the federal and state governments on limiting the number of refugees and on the subject of finance. “The districts urgently need a reliable perspective,” said the President of the District Council, Reinhard Sager, at the weekend.
In view of the increasing number of refugees, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the heads of government of the federal states are meeting next Wednesday for a special summit. (AFP)
