Berlin (epd). Against the background of the discussions about sharing the burden of caring for refugees, Berlin’s Social Senator Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD) is calling for new criteria for distribution between the federal states. Kiziltepe explained on Thursday in Berlin that it is an enormous challenge for the city-states in particular to accommodate refugees in a way that meets their needs and is humane in comparison to the non-city states. The distribution according to the Königsteiner key must be “fundamentally reconsidered and additional criteria should be used”.
Asylum seekers are distributed using the Königstein key based on tax revenue and the number of inhabitants in a federal state. Kiziltepe said this means that Berlin is taking in more refugees than its share of the population requires.
She called for indicators such as available living space, the proportion of recipients of basic security or poverty rates to be included in the distribution. “Financial incentives can also help to bring about a more even distribution,” she said, and sees the federal government as responsible: “If municipalities, in consultation with their states, are willing to take in additional refugees, the federal government should generously bear the costs and the municipalities with investments into the necessary social infrastructure.”
The heads of government of the federal states will meet with Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) on Thursday to discuss, among other things, the sharing of the costs of caring for refugees. A decision on this is planned for November.