UN warning for Germany, which wants to reduce humanitarian aid abroad. “There will be a new wave of people to Europe”
Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Photo: Kazuki OISHI / imago stock&people / Profimedia
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, asked the German parliament to extend humanitarian aid, in the context in which the Bundestag is preparing to finalize the federal budget for 2026, reports DPA on Saturday, taken over by Agerpres.
“Keeping the humanitarian budget so low is a huge strategic error,” Grandi said in a recent interview.
On November 13, the budget committee of the Bundestag (the lower house of the German parliament) meets to finalize the national budget for 2026. Germany has halved humanitarian aid this year compared to 2024, from €2.3 billion to €1.05 billion. The same level as in 2025 is foreseen for next year.
“If humanitarian aid is reduced, there will be a new wave of people coming to Europe,” said the UN representative, referring to the large number of migrants arriving in Germany in 2015-2016, including many from war-torn Syria.
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Filippo Grandi explained that humanitarian support for Syrian refugees from Syria's neighboring countries had been cut at the time due to budgetary constraints, which was one of the reasons for the mass migration.
A similar situation is occurring now, emphasized the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. He cited as an example the drastic cut in funding by the US, Germany, the UK, France and other countries, which meant that assistance to people fleeing to Chad because of the bloody conflict in Sudan was drastically reduced.
“You know who already controls those areas? The traffickers,” Grandi said.
