EU Resettlement Program 2020: Germany pledges 5.500 places

According to a press release published by the Evangelical Press Service, the Federal Government pledged 5.500 places to the European Commission within the framework of the EU Resettlement Program 2020.

3000 of the promised places will be allotted to humanitarian admissions of Syrians currently residing in Turkey. Further 1900 places are reserved for the regular federal resettlement scheme. 200 places are allotted to the state admission program of Schleswig-Holstein, while 400 places are designated for the joint government- civil society programme for especially vulnerable refugees “New start in a Team” (NesT). This pilot program is an additional program of the Federal Government in which state and civil-society share the responsibility of the humanitarian admissions. Civil-society mentoring groups, which have to consist in at least 5 persons, take over binding tasks in order to ensure housing and integration support.

With its pledge, the Federal Government agreed to grant protection to a similar number of refugees as in the past. In 2018 and 2019 the Federal Government pledged to provide 10.200 places for refugees of which, according to UNHCR, 7600 had arrived by the end of November 2019 (as of 27.11.2019).