Friedrich Merz announced the maximum number of asylum seekers that Germany will receive: “The pressure has reached a critical point”
Friedrich Merz. Photo credit: Florian Gaertner / Imago Stock & People / Profimedia
Germany's future Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said on Sunday that his new government intends to reduce the number of new asylum seekers in less than 100,000 per year, invoking pressure on institutions and infrastructure of the country, reports DPA and Agerpres.
“The pressure on our cities, schools, hospitals and infrastructure has reached a critical point,” Merz told ARD, adding that the annual number of asylum seekers should not be in the six -digit range.
Merz has reaffirmed the plans to suspend the family reunification for migrants and the launch of an extensive expulsion program, as provided by the coalition agreement between the Conservative Bloc-consisting of the Christian-Democratic Union (CDU) and the Bavarian formation, the Christian-Social Union (CSU)-and the Social-Democrat Party (SPD).
He also committed to implement the return of migrants to the border, adding that a coordination with the neighboring countries is already underway. Merz said he is expecting cooperation about this aspect, calling Austria in this regard.
Germany registered almost 230,000 asylum applications in 2024 – about 100,000 less than the previous year.
Merz has previously said that Germany can sustainably manage no more than 100,000 annual asylum seekers.
