Germany will spend an additional one billion euros in 2023 to cover the costs for refugees who have come to the country, mostly from Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said late on Wednesday.
He was speaking to reporters at Berlin’s chancellery where he and the 16 state prime ministers had deliberated for hours.
Scholz and his finance minister, Christian Lindner originally said the government was unable to come up with more money for municipalities in Germany’s 16 states.
“We have taken in a lot of refugees from Ukraine who found shelter in Germany, supported by an amazing number of volunteers. Today, around one million Ukrainian refugees are registered in Germany. That is the largest number currently reported by a European country. At the same time, the number of those seeking asylum in Germany coming from other countries is on the rise,” he said.
According to Scholz, Germany has registered roughly one million Ukrainian refugees since the outbreak of war in their home country.
“Our agreement today is that the government will mobilize an additional one billion euros on top of the blanket means it makes available. This is for the digitalization of immigration offices and to better support municipalities in their difficult and comprehensive task,” Scholz said.
Scholz said the agreed sum was “on top of the blanket means the government makes available. This is for the digitalization of immigration offices and to better support municipalities in their difficult and comprehensive task.”
Germany’s Agency for Migration and Refugees (Bamf) registered 101,981 asylum requests in the first four months of this year, an increase of 78% compared to 2022.
