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Germany plans to tighten immigration laws and deport more asylum seekers who have not been granted status, a sharp turn in the country's migrant policies. As VOA correspondent Henry Ridgwell reports, the upcoming elections - and the Israel-Hamas conflict - have hardened the rhetoric around immigration.
Two hundred and thirty thousand people have sought asylum in Germany in the first nine months of this year, more than in all of 2022. Immigration centers are overflowing and regional authorities say the cost is unaffordable.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed concern about the influx of immigrants. In a meeting with the 16 governors of the country's states, he presented a plan that he says will reduce the number of immigrants.
" I believe that this is a historical moment. Faced with an undoubtedly huge challenge, with a very large number of migrants and irregular migration, all levels of the state are cooperating closely, which is necessary. People expect this from us ," he said.
Under the deal, the federal government will pay states and municipalities $8,000 for each refugee from next year, and financial aid to asylum seekers will be cut. Mr Scholz promised to speed up asylum decisions - and make it easier to deport those refused refugee status.
Temporary border controls with Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland will remain in place – and the government has promised tougher penalties for people-trafficking. It is a sharp departure from the policies of Mr Scholz's predecessor, Angela Merkel.
In 2015, Germany opened its borders to more than one million refugees. Chancellor Scholz is acting with the European elections planned for June next year in mind, says analyst Camino Mortera-Martinez.
"The main centre-right parties are getting the message that they need to be – or appear to be – tougher on immigration in order to get the votes that are now being given to more radical alternatives, such as the Alternative for Germany," says analyst Canino Mortera . -Martinez of the Center for European Reform.
She adds that the Israel-Hamas conflict is fueling the political rhetoric around immigration.
" I think it is very dangerous to spread the idea that there will be a massive wave of refugees. Populists and the extreme right benefit from this type of debate ," says the analyst.
Meanwhile, Italy - which accepts hundreds of thousands of migrants each year - signed an agreement on Monday to build migrant reception centers in Albania. Italy's Prime Minister Georgia Meloni said it could serve as a model for agreements between the European Union and non-member countries. Critics say that such plans may violate international law./ VOA
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