Lang told the “Stuttgarter Zeitung” and the “Stuttgarter Nachrichten” (Monday editions) that the municipalities had “achieved incredible things last year”. She thinks it would be “wrong if the federal and state governments now point to each other and emphasize what they have already done,” she added. There is a common interest that good solutions can be found locally. “If support is needed for this, the federal government must help, including financially,” said the Green Party leader.
Lang’s stance on financing the costs contradicts a draft resolution from the traffic light government that was available to the ARD capital city studio. Accordingly, the federal government is not planning any significant increase in refugee aid for states and municipalities. The paper states that the federal government is already providing billions in support, while the federal states and local authorities have surpluses in the billions.
Funding for refugee aid has been a subject of debate for a long time. In view of the increasing number of refugees and asylum seekers, many municipalities see themselves on the edge of their ability to perform. On Wednesday, the federal and state governments will again discuss the issue at a refugee summit.
The newspapers of the Funke media group (Monday) reported on a paper by the state finance ministers, in which they substantiate their demand for more money from the federal government. The states are turning against the argument of the federal government that the federal budget has to shoulder deficits in the billions, while the states and local authorities are recording surpluses.
According to the report, this is only “a temporary phenomenon” caused by the double crisis of the pandemic and the Russian war of aggression. In addition, the monthly per capita flat rate for asylum seekers of 670 euros that will apply until the end of 2021 is now far too low; based on the most recent data, around a thousand euros would have to be estimated.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) called on the federal government to assume at least half of the costs for the accommodation and integration of refugees. “The 16 states have agreed across parties that the federal and state governments should share the costs, i.e. at least 50:50,” Wüst told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” and the Bonn “General-Anzeiger” (Monday editions).
So far, North Rhine-Westphalia has received 600 million euros from the federal government, with total costs this year of 3.7 billion euros. At present, only well under 20 percent of the costs are covered by the federal government. The federal government has a duty to the municipalities, said Wüst. “It would be irresponsible if the federal government left the municipalities and ultimately the people who flee to us in the lurch.”
