Germany is expecting four times as many asylum seekers this year, with Berlin calling for European action on the crisis
Germany expects to receive up to 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015, a new record, the country’s interior minister said on Wednesday, as he urged action from Europe on the crisis.
Germany has struggled to accommodate a wave of asylum seekers from war zones such as Syria but also from countries without military conflict in southeastern Europe, including Albania, Serbia and Kosovo.
Europe’s biggest economy has become the top destination for those fleeing war and persecution but Thomas de Maiziere said other European partners must also share the refugee load.
“The European Commission should act against member states that are not assuming their responsibilities,” he told reporters as he announced the new official estimate.
“This development is a challenge for us all,” said the minister.
Up to July, Germany received 218,221 asylum applications – an increase of nearly 125 per cent compared to the same period last year.
Berlin had previously expected 500,000 asylum-seekers to arrive this year.
Full article: Germany expecting up to 800,000 asylum seekers this year (The Telegraph)
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