BERLIN — German opposition chief Friedrich Merz accused Ukrainian refugees of profiting from Germany’s social welfare system by searching for safety within the nation, accumulating advantages after which returning to Ukraine.
“What we’re seeing is welfare tourism on the a part of these refugees to Germany, again to Ukraine, to Germany, again to Ukraine,” Merz, the chief of the center-right Christian Democrats (CDU), informed Bild TV in an interview, including that “a big quantity” of the greater than 1.1 million Ukrainian refugees registered in Germany have been milking the state. “We have now an issue right here that’s getting worse.”
The German authorities has no statistics on whether or not and to what diploma the abuse Merz alleged is definitely occurring.
Merz, who took over the celebration final yr after it misplaced management of the chancellery for the primary time in 16 years, mentioned it was “unfair” for the state to pay to warmth the houses of refugees and German welfare recipients at a time when many working-class Germans can’t afford their power payments.
“It’s unfair and the inhabitants is true to contemplate it unfair,” he mentioned.
Merz’s feedback come as Germans have turn into more and more involved in regards to the impression the warfare in Ukraine is having on their economic system and, specifically, the value of power. The nation is bracing for a troublesome winter amid skyrocketing fuel costs, that are anticipated to not less than double for a lot of households. About half of German households warmth their houses with fuel.
The populist tone of Merz’s remarks, that are extra in tune with the rhetoric of the pro-Russia Various for Germany celebration, mark a shift for his center-right celebration, which has beforehand backed the federal government’s efforts to help Ukrainians fleeing the warfare. With public frustration over the federal government’s dealing with of the looming power disaster rising, nonetheless, Merz seems to see political alternative in concentrating on refugees.
The so-called Union, a center-right alliance between Merz’s CDU and its Bavarian sister celebration, has an 8 level polling lead in response to POLITICO’s Ballot of Polls.
Requested whether or not Germany’s refugee insurance policies wanted to be extra stringent, Merz mentioned the federal government’s complete migration system was “inconsistent” and he referred to as for “strict limits” on the numbers of newcomers.
“As an alternative, the federal authorities is encouraging everybody who desires to return to Germany to return right here,” he mentioned.
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