Once again, representatives of the federal and state governments meet for summit deliberations. The central theme is the Ukraine war.
+++ 10.55 p.m.: After many hours of tough negotiations, the federal and state governments have reached a compromise on the distribution of the costs of caring for Ukrainian war refugees. This was announced by the Prime Ministers of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg, Manuela Schwesig and Dietmar Woidke (both SPD), late on Thursday evening after the end of the consultations between Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the state leaders in Berlin.
According to Woidkes, refugees from Ukraine should be given financial support in the same way as recognized asylum seekers. This means that they should receive the same benefits as Hartz IV recipients. According to Scholz, the federal government wants to support the municipalities with the costs of accommodating the refugees in the current year with 500 million euros. Woidke said that the federal government would contribute 500 million euros to the costs already incurred in the federal states this year. The federal government wants to contribute 1 billion euros to the costs of integration in day-care centers or schools. Schwesig made a similar statement in an abbreviated form.
The meeting with Scholz had already started an hour late in the afternoon because the country heads had significantly more need to talk to each other than initially planned. At their conference on March 17, the federal and state governments had already agreed in principle that taking in war refugees would be a joint task. A working group should prepare a decision on the question of costs by April 7th. It has to be decided whether Ukraine refugees should receive benefits under the Asylum Seekers Benefits Act or basic security.
The European Union has decided to activate the so-called mass influx directive for the first time in order to take in war refugees from Ukraine. This stipulates that those seeking protection do not have to apply for asylum, but first receive a residence permit for one year and are allowed to work. An extension of up to three years is possible.
The number of Ukraine refugees in Germany is well over 300,000. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the federal police alone have recorded 316,453 so far. However, Ukrainians can enter without a visa, so the actual number of those seeking protection is likely to be higher. The federal police are currently detecting the entry of around 3,000 people from Ukraine every day. In March, the number of new arrivals was over 15,000 per day.
+++ 4 p.m.: It is also unclear when and to what extent the federal-state consultations on the Ukraine war should take place. The Hessian state government announced in the afternoon that a statement by Prime Minister Volker Bouffier would be postponed. It was actually scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Update from Thursday, April 7th, 2022, 1:00 p.m.: The draft law on compulsory vaccination from the age of 60 has failed. This means that those responsible in the federal government around Chancellor Olaf Scholz should be on their way to the federal-state summit.
First report from Thursday, April 7th, 2022, 8.30 a.m.: Berlin – On Thursday (April 7th, 2022) there will be another federal-state summit. In contrast to previous prime ministerial conferences (MPK), the deliberations this time are less about the corona-Pandemic*. Instead, to the topic Ukraine war* to be advised. In particular, the situation of refugees is the focus.
In the run-up to the MPK, a draft resolution for the federal-state summit, which is available to the editorial network Germany, has already leaked out – an overview:
- the Registration of the Ukrainian refugees in Germany should be accelerated. “Technical IT problems” are apparently one of the problems. “Registration is necessary not least against the background of ensuring national security interests,” says the wording of the draft resolution. A new arrival system is also being sought.
According to the draft resolution for this in the immigration authorities. Arrival centers and reception facilities are implemented. The most important information (name, date of birth and nationality) is to be collected there in central databases. In addition to the IT problems already mentioned that are to be solved, the federal and state governments probably want to avoid duplicate registrations. The “Königsstein key” is mentioned as a benchmark.
- Next to the registration of the refugees is theirs integration in the labor market on the agenda. According to the draft resolution of the summit meeting, the federal and state governments want to work “for a quick and uniform recognition of Ukrainian professional and educational qualifications”.
In addition, there are efforts to help Ukrainian refugees in Germany against the corona virus as quickly as possible vaccinate. The authorities are faced with the problem that many of those affected have been vaccinated with vaccines (such as Sputnik V) that are not approved in the European Union*.
In addition to vaccination should also Trial Offers be created. According to the draft resolution, these should be in Ukrainian to be provided.
- In addition to humanitarian are also economic measures planned: German companies suffering financially from the Ukraine war should cheap loans through the promotional bank KfW.
MPK today: That will be discussed at the federal-state summit
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser had already announced at the beginning of the week that at the summit meeting on the Ukraine conflict* To want to push through an increase in basic benefits for refugees. Meanwhile, it is unclear when the prime ministers’ conference will actually begin. The past summit meetings started around noon. This is probably also related to the duration of the mandatory vaccination debate in the Bundestag on Thursday. Vaccination is compulsory from the age of 60.
(do) *fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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