Germany to reject 75,000 asylum applications to focus on refugees from Syria and Iraq

Germany will likely reject up to 75,000 asylum applications this year in order to focus on refugees fleeing war in Syria and Iraq, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

Their administration will accelerate extradition procedures for migrants to countries it deems safe.

Der Spiegel magazine reported that more than 10,000 foreigners have been deported this year, many of them coming from Western Balkan countries such as Serbia and Macedonia.

Germany expects a record influx of up to 800,000 refugees and migrants this year, which is four times more than last year.

With relatively liberal asylum laws and procedures and generous benefits, Germany is the EU country receiving the largest number of refugees and people fleeing war in the Middle East, as well as economic migrants from Southeast Europe.

The head of the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, Manfred Schmidt, told Der Spiegel that authorities will decide on more than 75,000 asylum applications, mostly filed by migrants from Western Balkan countries, by the end of 2015, and that almost all of them will be rejected.

Chancellor Angela Merkel stated on Saturday that Germany cannot cope with the record number of refugees this year without raising taxes.

The coalition to which Merkel belongs is expected to adopt measures on Sunday, including cutting bureaucracy costs to facilitate the construction of asylum and shelter facilities, speeding up asylum procedures, and increasing funds for federal states and cities.

Also on the agenda will be the expansion of the list of countries considered safe. Kosovo, Albania, and Montenegro are most likely to be added to the list.

Among the countries already considered safe are Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.