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Southern German town challenges Merkel's refugee policy by sending refugees to Berlin

Xinhua, January 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

The chief of the southern German town of Landshut assigned a bus to transport 51 refugees to the Federal Chancellory in Berlin on Thursday, according to a statement on the town's official website.

According to the statement, the refugees are Syrians between the ages of 21 and 45 whose legal status in the country has already been recognized. However, they are still living in temporary refugee camps instead of in a home of their own.

The town's chief, Peter Dreier, said that by sending the bus to the German capital he wants to send the message to the federal government that the current refugee policy does not work and cannot continue as it is now.

"An end to the waves of refugees is not in sight, the capacity of decent facilities in our country is rapidly running out, and I do not see that new homes for immigrants have yet been built," said Dreier, who was also on his way to Berlin.

"If we do not take the concerns and needs of our citizens very seriously, the social and inner peace in our country will be endangered," the politician emphasized.

The statement also noted the refugees travelling to Berlin voluntarily signed up to do so. Endit