Integration Minister Conference: “The federal government is not contributing sufficiently” – states are demanding billions for refugee prices | EUROtoday

At the Integration Ministers’ Conference this Wednesday and Thursday, quite a few federal states are calling for a brand new version of the mixing allowance for refugees. “The majority of the states are asking the federal government to reissue and make permanent an integration allowance for the states and municipalities,” stated NRW Integration Minister Verena Schäffer (Greens) in an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (noz). “The federal government’s current contribution to refugee-related costs is not enough,” stated the chairwoman of this yr’s Integration Ministers’ Conference.

From 2016 to 2023, the federal authorities paid the states a lump sum yearly. In 2019, this reached 2.44 billion euros, however then fell sharply. Since 2024, a per capita flat charge of seven,500 euros has been paid for every first-time asylum applicant. However, since prices have elevated, the per capita flat charge is now not adequate, in response to the states, and they’re calling for a brand new version of the previous system.

By Tuesday, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia had joined the appliance from North Rhine-Westphalia.

The municipalities particularly are depending on the assist of the federal authorities, stated NRW Minister Schäffer: “We urgently need the federal government to promise that it will continue to contribute to the costs of integration in the future and in the long term, as this is the only way to ensure a functioning integration infrastructure.”