Germany temporarily halts refugee admissions via UN resettlement programme

Germany has temporarily suspended its intake of refugees through a UN resettlement programme amid ongoing coalition talks and growing political debate over asylum policy, according to reports citing the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency.

Germany has temporarily paused the intake of refugees through a United Nations resettlement programme, according to a report by the dpa news agency on Tuesday. The report cites information from the interior ministry and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).

The German interior ministry declined to comment when approached by Reuters, while the UNHCR could not be immediately reached for confirmation.

Migration remains a key point of discussion in the ongoing coalition negotiations between Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc and the Social Democrats. While the talks are still underway, both parties have reportedly reached a preliminary agreement to suspend voluntary federal refugee admission programmes wherever possible and to avoid launching new ones, according to a document reviewed by Reuters.

The conservative bloc has called for a more restrictive asylum policy, in response to shifting public opinion and growing support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

According to the interior ministry, Germany had planned to offer up to 6,560 places this year under the European Union’s resettlement scheme. The programme typically includes refugees of various nationalities and stateless individuals from countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan and Libya.

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