Refugee crisis ‘to cost Germany 10 billion euro’
Germany’s cost of care for refugees could reach around 10 billion euro ($11 billion) in 2015. Amid internal criticism over Chancellor Angela Merkel’s decisions, the CDU and SPD are due to discuss the distribution of costs.
According to a report in the Sunday edition of German newspaper, the “Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung” (FAS), financial costs for Germany could reach anywhere between 9 and 10.5 billion euros by the end of the year. The figure is based on cost estimates from local governments around the country.
A refugee summit held by the German parliament in July budgeted 5.6 billion euros for an expected 450 000 asylum applications this year. In light of the recent mass influx of refugees from Africa and the Middle East, however, Germany is now expecting to take in some 800 000 by the end of December.
According to Germany’s Federal Statistics Office, 2.4 billion euro were spent on caring for some 203 000 new asylum seekers last year.
At municipal level, the current annual cost per refugee stands at between 12 000 and 13 000 euro, which covers accommodation, meals, pocket money, health costs and administrative expenses.
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(Photo: Bundesregierung/Schacht)
