Seven points for solving the refugee crisis: People from the Balkans will also be expelled

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to discuss her seven-point plan for solving the refugee crisis in Germany this weekend during a meeting with her coalition partners, the Social Democrats, writes the tabloid “Bild” today, as reported by the news agency Patria.

The plan, among other things, envisages stricter conditions for obtaining asylum, the abolition of the so-called “pocket money” of 143 euros per month, and a reduction of the deadline for deportation to one week, along with a five-year entry ban, which applies primarily to citizens of Serbia and other Balkan countries considered safe countries of origin. Merkel wants all refugees to be housed in solid buildings by the end of October, the tabloid states as the first point, noting that currently at least 20,000 refugees in Germany are still living in tents.

The Chancellor also plans to speed up the asylum procedure, which could particularly affect newcomers from the Balkans, who have almost no chance of obtaining asylum in Germany. To expedite the process, the number of employees in the relevant federal office for refugees and migrants will be increased by 1,650 by the end of this year. In the coming year, as the second point of the plan envisages, an increase of 1,000 officials is planned, and in addition, around 5,000 jobs should be created at the federal office for voluntary assistance to better care for refugees.

Merkel also envisages enabling refugees who receive asylum status to learn the language and access the education system, with the aim of quickly preparing them for the labor market, the tabloid reports, which is the third point of the plan, while the fourth proposes that the cash allowance of 143 euros per month should no longer be paid, but instead, people should be provided with vouchers for food, clothing, and other needs while the asylum procedure is ongoing and they are in reception centers.

When it comes to the right to asylum, stricter measures can be expected, i.e., an amendment to the relevant article of the Constitution, advocated by the branch of her Christian Democratic Union in the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, which would mean that not everyone would automatically have the right to apply for asylum in Germany.

The sixth point of the plan concerns expulsions and could also apply primarily to citizens from the Balkans. Anyone who comes to Germany from “safe countries of origin,” such as Serbia, Bosnia, or Macedonia, should be deported back within one week and receive an entry ban of up to five years. In addition, the circle of “safe countries of origin” should be expanded to include Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro, reports “Bild.”

Furthermore, all refugees should first be registered in reception centers in Italy and Greece, and only then distributed to specific European Union countries, according to the German Chancellor's plan.

Merkel also wants to further intensify the fight against human smugglers and proposes, among other things, more controls in border areas and the creation of 1,150 new jobs within the Federal Police, the Federal Criminal Police Office, and the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution by 2016, reports “Bild.”