MIGRANTS-EUROPE/GERMANY Germany expects refugee numbers to reach 800,000 this year

Record ID: 143398

  • Title: MIGRANTS-EUROPE/GERMANY Germany expects refugee numbers to reach 800,000 this year
  • Date: 19th August 2015
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (AUGUST 19, 2015) (REUTERS) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE DE MAIZIERE SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "We've got to reckon there will be up to 800,000 people coming to Germany as refugees or seeking asylum. That doubles our spring prognosis. And it is about four times more than what we have had in the last year." VARIOUS OF JOURNALISTS AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "It is time to walk through new paths, it is time for pragmatic solutions. But at the same time, we have to consider measures that haven't been on the table yet. It is also time for European solutions. And we have to think about how we can reduce such high numbers for Germany in the future." MAIZIERE AT NEWS CONFERENCE PHOTOGRAPHERS (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER, THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "We don't want border controls. We want freedom of movement but in the long run - and I have said this publicly several times before, if others don't stick to the rules we will have to determine what that means to freedom of movement in Europe. That is why my goal is not to threaten, but a European answer to maintain open borders and no controls in the Schengen area (is needed)." PHOTOGRAPHERS DE MAIZIERE LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 3rd September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9OUSGDTLGI75CQAI36R5CFXN1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The number of asylum-seekers and refugees to Germany will quadruple to a record 800,000 this year compared to the previous year - twice as many as forecast in January, the government said on Wednesday (August 19).
    Germany has become a magnet for refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East and has criticised European Union partners for not doing more.
    "We've got to reckon there will be up to 800,000 people coming to Germany as refugees or seeking asylum. That doubles our spring prognosis. And it is about four times more than what we have had in the last year," Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere told a news conference in Berlin.
    Migrant numbers across the EU have shot up in recent months. Many undertake dangerous sea voyages to reach southern Europe, then make their way across the continent in the hope of reaching wealthier nations like Germany.
    The nation's previous biggest annual intake was 438,191 in 1992, when it received large numbers of refugees fleeing conflicts resulting from the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
    A year later, the German parliament changed the constitution to impose stricter rules on asylum. Numbers sank to a low of 28,000 in 2008 before they started climbing again.
    De Maiziere said a joint response was needed to find a solution, but ruled out border controls as part of it.
    "It is time to walk through new paths, it is time for pragmatic solutions. But at the same time, we have to consider measures that haven't been on the table yet. It is also time for European solutions. And we have to think about how we can reduce such high numbers for Germany in the future," he said.
    "We don't want border controls. We want freedom of movement but in the long run - and I have said this publicly several times before - , if others don't stick to the rules we will have to determine what that means to freedom of movement in Europe. That is why my goal is not to threaten, but a European answer to maintain open borders and no controls in the Schengen area (is needed)."
    Across Germany, towns and cities have been saying they cannot cope with the surging numbers. Originally, the government predicted 300,000 this year, up from 200,000 in 2014.
    In Brussels, the European Union's border control agency said nearly 110,000 migrants were tracked entering the EU in July by irregular means, setting a record, with nearly 340,000 in all seen arriving in the EU so far this year.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register