States and municipalities are demanding more money

Berlin A few days before the refugee summit, a dispute broke out at Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) about how the refugee costs should be shared. Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) rejected demands from the municipalities for additional financial aid.

“The possibilities of the federal government are limited,” Lindner told the Handelsblatt. He referred to the already effective relief for the federal states – for example, the fact that refugees from Ukraine receive citizen benefits and not benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act.

In addition, despite the still small number of refugees, “high additional funds” were made available for the federal states to be passed on to the municipalities last year, as were federal properties as accommodation. The Federal Minister of Finance also emphasized that the federal states now have a “significantly better revenue development than the federal government”.

Faeser also rejects further financial aid. The “financing responsibility for the admission and care of those seeking protection” lies with the federal states, said a spokesman for their ministry.