The federal states are entering talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the refugee summit with a new proposal. "For 2023, the federal government will increase the refugee allowance to the states by one billion euros so that the states are supported in providing additional relief for their municipalities and financing the digitization of the immigration authorities," according to a paper available to the Reuters news agency, which the prime ministers adopted on Wednesday morning.
In addition, they also insist on long-term relief, because the migration movements of recent years are a permanent development. "Therefore, there is a need for a financing model that is appropriate in terms of amount and automatically adapts to changing numbers of refugees (breathing system)," the draft states. These included "essentially, including dynamization", the full reimbursement of the costs of accommodation and heating for refugees, the payment of a monthly per capita lump sum as well as integration costs and the costs for unaccompanied minors.
The federal government had previously indicated that although it could increase its payments for 2023, it would no longer have any room for manoeuvre in the budget from 2024. He currently bears 75 percent of the costs of the accommodation and has taken over the total costs for the Ukrainian war refugees.
In the morning, the chairman of the Minister-Presidents' Conference, Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD), had dampened expectations of the summit. At best, he expects an "interim solution" that will carry for this year, Weil said on Wednesday in RBB. He does not expect a fundamental solution to the problems.
Here you can read why the expectations for the refugee summit are so high.
Weil pointed out that the states wanted a "breathing system" in which federal funding is based on the number of refugees. Annual payments alone would "not give the municipalities the necessary security. It's a really fundamental conflict." However, an interim solution for this year would already be a success, the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony continued.
The deputy chairman of the SPD parliamentary group, Dirk Wiese, was optimistic on ARD: "We want to achieve a result today." But Wiese also said that the discussions were difficult. In the consultations, it is necessary to take a close look at where not only money helps. It is also necessary to discuss how a result can be achieved at European level. It is a "total puzzle", according to Wiese.
Saarland's Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger said on Deutschlandfunk that there would be no "turning point" in migration policy, as demanded by some FDP politicians. It is a matter of "implementing what may have already been agreed with each other even more consistently, technically better positioned".
Wüst speaks of a community of responsibility
Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU), however, told the radio station Bayern 2 that he was going into the meeting with a "very bad feeling". So far, the federal government has not properly perceived the situation in the states.
The North Rhine-Westphalian Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) insists on a stronger financial participation of the federal government. "The federal government wants to say goodbye to its community of responsibility," Wüst said on Wednesday on ARD. If more people come, "more funds" would also have to be made available, for example for language acquisition, additional daycare groups and additional integration services for families and children, he said, with a view to the rising number of refugees.
The federal government is doing its part in the current refugee policy, for example in support for people from Ukraine. This is also "commendable". But there are also numerous refugees from other countries. Wüst sees an urgent need for action here. The fact that the federal government wants to "withdraw significantly" on this issue is "not in order".
Since November, most of the refugees no longer come predominantly from Ukraine, but from other countries, such as Afghanistan, Syria, Turkey and Iran. Municipalities must also be able to cope with these challenges. "That's why we need a permanent, reliable solution that breathes," said Wüst, referring to the state demand that federal funding must be based on the number of refugees.
Wüst did not want to accept the argument that the federal government had no more money for refugee financing due to high spending. In the past four years, the federal government has been responsible for 133 billion euros more spending, eleven of which have ended up with the states. "To pretend that the states are to blame for the poverty of the federal government is simply not entirely honest," said the CDU politician. This must be discussed at the refugee summit. Wüst also says, however, that the federal government has "entered hard" into the preliminary discussions for the summit. Now, however, it seems to be "objectifying a bit" and that's a good thing.
Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left) criticized the handling of the federal government with the states before the summit. The mood is bad. "The federal government has not even complied with the usual courtesy rules in communication in advance," Ramelow told the German Press Agency in Erfurt. "The paper presented by the Federal Chancellery so far is non-negotiable for me."