Faeser’s call to the refugee summit
Thousands of Syrians return via the Balkans

09/23/2022, 17:33

The number of asylum seekers in Germany has skyrocketed. Most of the refugees from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are crossing the border every day in large numbers – apart from Ukraine. Interior Minister Faeser holds a refugee summit in Berlin.

Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser invites city, municipal and district representatives to a refugee summit in Berlin on October 11. “Taking care of a million refugees is a huge achievement, especially for the city government,” said the SPD politician. “On October 11 we will discuss intensively how we can continue to provide support, especially in the winter months.”

The meeting with the municipal umbrella organization at the Ministry of the Interior was supposed to discuss the better distribution of refugees from Ukraine in Germany. Municipalities warn that in many places where capacity limits have been reached, they are demanding more help from the federal government. Nearly one million people from Ukraine have registered since the start of Russia’s war of aggression in late February. You don’t need an asylum application.

The number of asylum seekers is increasing rapidly

In addition, the number of asylum seekers from other countries is currently increasing significantly. According to the Federal Office for Migration, about 115,000 new applications were made at the end of August. This number increased by 35 percent compared to the previous year. Most of the people came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq. More and more people came again via the Mediterranean and Balkan routes.

According to their own statement, Berlin and Saxony also recorded a significant increase in the number of arrivals. Recording capacity in two federal states is running low. In Berlin, in August 2022, as many people were admitted to initial admissions centers as in 2021, according to the Senate on Labor, Migration and Home Affairs. Unlike people from Ukraine, asylum seekers from third countries cannot be housed privately. As a possible solution, they are looking to rent a hostel. In addition, the existing accommodation is compacted.

Bavaria and Saxony sound the alarm

Saxony’s Minister of the Interior, Armin Schuster, has spoken about galloping numbers last week. In September, authorities recorded 100 illegal entries every day. SPD politician warned: “We are heading towards a situation like the one we had in 2016/17.” In July, an average of about 260 people per week applied for asylum in Saxony, in August this number rose to about 470, while in the first two weeks of September 862, according to preliminary data from the Saxony State Directorate.

Bavaria’s Interior Minister, Joachim Herrmann, also sounded the alarm. According to a report by the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”, the number of refugees arriving mainly in southern and eastern Bavaria by road and increasing by train has more than fivefold increased compared to the previous year. In May, June and July, an average of 5,600 people come to Bavaria each month. It also has to do with the war in Ukraine, but also with the movement of refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, CSU politicians say.

“Sudden upgrade”: Faeser announces talks with Serbia

Federal Interior Minister Faeser announced the first steps against inflows on Wednesday. The hunt towards the Czech Republic was strengthened along with the federal police and border control to Austria was extended. In addition, together with Austria and the Czech Republic, they seek support from the European Union (EU). Most people came from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, Faeser said. However, one sees a very strong shift in Austria with respect to country of origin. This is because, especially in Serbia, some nationals – for example from India and Bangladesh – are allowed to enter without a visa. In the Federal Police, the issue of smugglers has a high priority, said the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), Holger Münch, at a meeting with ministers.

Apparently, many migrants enter the Serbian capital, Belgrade, also through the airport there, and then go to Germany, Faeser told TV station Welt. SPD politicians announced talks with Serbia on “why migration has suddenly increased”.