BERLIN: The German government will sharply raise its forecast for the number of asylum-seekers expected to arrive this year to a record-breaking 750,000, coalition sources said on Tuesday.
The increase, from a previous estimate of 450,000, is the latest sign of how a huge influx of migrants and refugees, many fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East, is straining the European Union’s ability to cope.
The situation is extremely unsatisfying,” Chancellor Angela Merkel told ZDF television on Sunday, referring to the disproportionate number of refugees that Germany has taken in compared to many of its EU partners. “We need a common European asylum policy.”
After Merkel warned that the number of refugees will be far higher than expected, sources in her coalition told Reuters that the asylum-seeker forecast would probably be formally raised on Wednesday to a range of 650,000-750,000.
Thomas Oppermann, parliamentary leader of the center-left Social Democrats, the junior coalition partner, said he expects 700,000 to 800,000 arrivals this year.
Migrant numbers across the EU have shot up during the summer months, overwhelming authorities from the Greek islands to the French port of Calais. Many undertake dangerous sea voyages to reach southern Europe, then make their way across the continent in the hope of reaching wealthier nations like Germany.
