Germany Moves to Stem Stream of Migrants

[Jesus Malverde]

Source: WSJ

BERLIN—The German government approved legislation on Tuesday aimed at reducing a record stream of migrants that is causing growing unease among voters and putting financial strain on local governments.

The new rules, which still need parliamentary approval, will cut cash benefits paid to asylum seekers, speed up the review of asylum applications, expedite the departure of rejected applicants, and make it more difficult for citizens of Albania, Kosovo and Montenegro to become refugees.

The government also set aside some €6 billion ($6.7 billion) in extra money to deal with soaring migrant-related costs this year and next. That will largely benefit Germany’s 16 federal states, which have complained about the growing pressure on their finances as they feed and house asylum seekers.

In a bid to retain public support for her government’s relatively generous policy toward those fleeing war and persecution, and to prevent Germany’s asylum system becoming clogged up by the sheer number of applicants, Chancellor Angela Merkel has said her government would do more to discourage economic migrants and those with shaky asylum claims to enter the country.

Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-moves-to-slow-stream-of-migrants-1443540162

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Cuts to benefits for asylum seekers. Are they cutting everyone's benefits or creating a two tier benefit system with lower benefits for migrants?

[Jesus Malverde]

1. Berlin agrees steps to curb migrants as Merkel faces backlash

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under pressure after vowing to accept all refugees from Syria

Berlin on Tuesday agreed measures aimed at curbing an unprecedented surge in migrants, including cuts to cash payments, as a backlash grew over the German government’s handling of the refugee crisis.

The new laws are aimed at lifting some of the pressures on overworked local officials and reassuring voters that the government is in control of the migrant problem. Berlin wants the laws to take effect as soon as November.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has come under mounting pressure, including from within her own CDU/CSU coalition, since she pledged to set “no upper limit” on the right to asylum and promised to accept all refugees from Syria. Officials expects 800,000 refugees this year, four times more than 2014.

In a surprise development, Joachim Gauck, German president, who is widely viewed as a liberal, on Sunday launched a thinly veiled attack on Ms Merkel’s handling of the crisis, saying: “Our reception capacity is limited even when it has not yet been worked out where these limits lie.”

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/dd6620bc-66b4-11e5-97d0-1456a776a4f5.html#axzz3nAc4Vrbv

[msongs]

2. 2 tiers as in, those who paid into support the system and those who not? nt

[Jesus Malverde]

3. I'm quite sure there a plenty of Germans on government support

Who have not paid into the system. I'm thinking disabled and the like. Those who by birthright get full benefits and immigrants who do not is an interesting system.