EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GERMANY-MERKEL Merkel - Germany offers 40,000 additional beds for migrants

Record ID: 141091

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GERMANY-MERKEL Merkel - Germany offers 40,000 additional beds for migrants
  • Date: 15th September 2015
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 15, 2015) (REUTERS) WIDE OF MEETING WITH GERMAN CABINET AND STATE PREMIERS BAVARIAN STATE PREMIER HORST SEEHOFER GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE TALKING TO STATE PREMIER OF BADEN-WUERTTEMBERG, WINFRIED KRETSCHMANN GERMAN MINISTER FOR INTEGRATION BILKAY ONEY ARRIVING SAXONY-ANHALT STATE PREMIER REINER HASELOFF AND GERMAN DEFENCE MINISTER URSULA VON DER LEYEN ARRIVING GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE ARRIVING GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL TALKING TO STATE PRIME MINISTERS GERMAN FINANCE MINISTER WOLFGANG SCHAEUBLE MERKEL AND SAXONY STATE PREMIERE STANISLAW TILLICH WIDE MEETING SEEHOFER AND GERMAN TRANSPORT MINISTER ALEXANDER DOBRINDT MERKEL AND VICE-CHANCELLOR AND GERMAN ECONOMY MINISTER SIGMAR GABRIEL WIDE MEETING MERKEL, BRANDENBURG STATE PREMIER DIETMAR WOIDKE AND HASELOFF ARRIVING FOR PRESSER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "We offered from the German federal government - namely the German interior minister Thomas de Maiziere - to relieve the states. We offered laying on 40,000 additional beds for migrants, details for that we will issue over the course of the next couple of days." WOIDKE, MERKEL AND HASELOFF AT PRESSER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "The German army has also offered additional personnel to deal with the logistic challenges, for instance with the to be created distribution centres." WIDE PRESSER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL, SAYING: "I was very glad that the state prime ministers unanimously support the federal government, especially in those countries in which the migrants come from or where there are reasons for migration. The federal government will do that (supports those countries) nationally but also expects a clear signal from the European Union to make sure that we all campaign for humane conditions in the migrant's camps, for instance in Jordan, Lebanon or Iraq." WOIDKE, MERKEL AND HASELOFF LEAVING PRESSER
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVAF0YKQWQJ2XLUN1CEOI6SHAY07
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday (September 15) that the German federal government will lay on 40,000 additional beds for migrants.
    Merkel, speaking at a meeting of German state leaders, added the German army has also offered additional personnel to deal with the logistic challenges, especially with planned migrant distribution centres.
    Merkel said that she was very pleased with the support of the German state premiers, after there were rumours of a discord between the government and some regions.
    "The federal government expects a clear signal from the European Union to make sure that we all campaign for humane conditions in the migrant's camps, for instance in Jordan, Lebanon or Iraq," she said.
    Earlier on Tuesday Merkel called for a special EU refugee summit, urging unity after an angry reaction to a suggestion by one of her ministers that states that did not take in their share of asylum seekers could face financial penalties.
    The proposal by Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere was forcefully rejected by the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which are among eastern European states that have resisted European Union plans to share out refugees.
    Facing opposition from ex-Communist states, EU ministers failed on Monday to break a deadlock over sharing responsibility for accepting some of the hundreds of thousands who have sought asylum in Europe. They have been summoned back to Brussels next Tuesday but diplomats said those calling for national refugee quotas were loath to simply outvote their eastern neighbours.
    Merkel said Europe faced one of its biggest challenges in decades and the problem could only be solved by the EU as a whole.
    De Maiziere stuck to his forecast that 800,000 refugees would arrive in Germany this year, despite some politicians saying there could be as many as one million.
    After opening its doors to refugees from Syria's civil war, Germany temporarily reimposed border controls at the weekend, prompting other countries along the refugees' march northwards through Europe to do the same and casting doubt on the EU's Schengen system of passport-free travel within the bloc.
    Police said more than 3,800 asylum seekers had reached Germany on Monday despite new controls at the border with Austria. They brought the number of asylum seekers who have entered Germany by train this month to nearly 92,000.
    Arrivals in Germany seemed certain to rise after nearly 22,000 reached neighbouring Austria on Monday and Tuesday. Officials there said 350 refugees had arrived in Salzburg within an hour and a train was due to take more across the German border to Munich.
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