Germany plans to halve federal support for refugee-related public spending next year as budget constraints due to rising inflation affect the country’s ability to support the costs of hosting refugees, which have strained the resources of cities and municipalities, sources reported on Monday, the 25th of September, reports Reuters.
Berlin informed the federal states on Monday that it would allocate
no more than 1.7 billion euros for refugee-related spending
in 2024, a significant cut from the 3.75 billion euros allocated this year, with no commitment to maintain the same level of funding in future years, said two government sources who wanted to stay anonymous due to the confidentiality of the meeting.
A finance ministry spokesman said that following Monday’s inconclusive meeting, consultations with the Chancellor were planned for November. The German government has stated that the responsibility for housing and caring for refugees lies primarily with the federal states, the spokesman added, recognising that the issue is of national importance.
The anonymous sources noted that the government also plans to stop financial support for the care and integration of Ukrainian refugees.
Read also: Russia puts ICC top leadership on wanted list