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The dispute in the Union over the admission of immigrants from the Greek islands (read an analysis here) is over: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) have agreed to take in an additional 1,500 immigrants. That was confirmed to SPIEGEL. At first dpa reported about it. According to information from SPIEGEL, the number comes from families whose need for protection was recognized in a Greek asylum procedure and who are on the islands.
It was still unclear whether the SPD would agree to this. SPD President Saskia Esken had asked Germany to host several thousand refugees from Greece in addition to offers of aid that had already been made. The Camp Moria fire left more than 12,000 migrants homeless.
Merkel stressed Monday that it shouldn’t be just about the number, but rather it should be part of an overall package. This also includes the establishment of a European managed and funded reception center for migrants and refugees on Lesbos.
Seehofer announced on Friday that Germany will accept 100 to 150 young people out of a total of 400 unaccompanied minors who will be taken from Greece to other European countries. In a second step, they also want to talk to Athens about accepting families with children. The SPD is calling for a nationwide initiative to receive significantly more migrants from the burned-down Moria camp than planned.
SPD vice president and Juso president Kevin Kühnert even asked Seehofer to step down if he did not change his position on the issue of accepting refugees from Moria. Kühnert told the “Rheinische Post” that the SPD “had now given the Union 48 hours” to “finally reflect and present practical proposals to end the misery.” He demanded that Seehofer finally abandon his blockade and allow the help of those who were willing and able to help.
The Greek authorities, apart from the 400 unaccompanied minors, have not yet officially requested the admission of the people who have now become homeless in other EU countries. Rather, they began setting up a tent camp on Lesbos, in which migrants should first come to live. However, many of them hesitate to move into a tent there. Some immigrants fear being imprisoned there, others hope to be relocated to mainland Greece or another European country.
