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Germany suspends voluntary intake of migrant plan with Italy
Data indicates that there were 15,100 irregular migrant arrivals in August, representing a 40 percent rise compared to the 10,714 arrivals in July
Germany announced on Wednesday that it has temporarily halted its participation in a European voluntary solidarity plan for receiving migrants from Italy.
The development could mark a fresh challenge in the ongoing debate surrounding asylum seekers within the European Union.
The voluntary initiative was designed to alleviate the pressure on EU nations located at the bloc's external borders, which often become the first destination for migrants.
Under this program, Germany was expected to admit 3,500 asylum seekers who had initially sought refuge in Italy. However, only 1,700 migrants had reached Germany before the country decided to suspend its participation.
The decision to pause the intake was attributed to the current high level of migration pressures on Germany, combined with the ongoing suspension of Dublin transfers by several EU member states, including Italy.
Berlin has officially communicated its decision to Italy, indicating that it will "postpone until further notice" its reception of migrants.
The Dublin procedure stipulates that irregular migrants should be registered in the EU country where they initially enter the bloc. If they move to another EU nation, they can be returned to their first port of entry within the EU.
However, Mediterranean nations like Italy have long contended that these rules impose an excessive burden on border countries, particularly considering that many newcomers aspire to move further and settle in other EU member states.
Between 2015 and 2016, Germany admitted more than one million asylum seekers, primarily from Syria and Iraq. Subsequently, the number of arrivals saw a significant decline. Still, over the past year, authorities have recorded a substantial increase in migrant arrivals once more.
Data from federal police indicates that there were 15,100 irregular migrant arrivals in August, representing a 40 percent rise compared to the 10,714 arrivals in July.