Germany pauses refugee admissions amid coalition discussions
The German government has temporarily halted the acceptance of refugees under the UN programme due to ongoing coalition negotiations.
Germany admits thousands of refugees each year through the UN programme, but the government has currently paused this process. The decision is linked to the coalition talks between the CDU, CSU, and SPD. The Ministry of the Interior and UNHCR have confirmed that no new commitments for admissions under the resettlement programme will be made during this time.
Suspension of procedures
The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees has announced that until a new government is in place, all procedures will be suspended and no new applications will be accepted. Exceptions will only apply to cases where procedures are already advanced.
Germany had committed to accepting 13,100 refugees in the years 2024-2025, and thus far, 5,061 people have been accepted. Under the UNHCR resettlement programme, host countries are offered refugees who are particularly in need and cannot return to their homeland or remain in the country of first asylum.
The future of the programme
Despite the suspension, UNHCR in Germany is optimistic that the new government will continue the resettlement programme. Spokesperson Chris Melzer emphasised that Germany has been a reliable partner in this endeavour.
The so-called UN refugees are individuals recognised as refugees by UNHCR and fall under its mandate in camps worldwide. Through the official resettlement programme, in operation in Germany since 2012, predetermined groups are accepted when they cannot return to their country of origin or remain in the initial country of asylum, such as Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, and Rwanda.
This also includes the humanitarian admission of Syrian refugees from Turkey, as agreed upon by the EU and Turkey in 2016.
