BERLIN, Sept. 7 (UPI) — German and French governments announced Monday their plans to welcome and aid thousands of migrants crossing Hungary’s border from Serbia.
Germany already welcomed approximately 18,000 migrants over the weekend after an agreement with Austria and Hungary relaxed asylum rules. German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government have also agreed to spend nearly seven billion dollars to aid the migrants.
The funds would build new reception centers for asylum seekers, hire 3,000 additional federal police officers, replace cash allowances for refugees with benefits in kind, finance integration and langage courses, and list Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro as safe countries so that immigrants from those nations can be deported more rapidly.
France announced its plan to welcome 24,000 refugees as per European Union plans to provide asylum for over 100,000 of them over the next two years. French President Francois Hollande said he and Merkel agree on a plan that would make each EU member state responsible for its share of a total of 120,000 migrants.
He said the situation is a “crisis” that can be “brought under control.”
Austria’s Chancellor Werner Faymann disagreed, saying the emergency climate wrought by the migrant crisis should come to an end and that Austria would inch “towards normality.” He spoke with Merkel and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Sunday.
5,000 migrants, mostly from Syria, reached Austria on Saturday.
Hungary had previously blocked migrants from traveling to Western Europe, especially as it continued its construction of a fence with Serbia, which is the conduit for migrants deserting wartorn Middle Eastern countries like Syria. It dropped its restrictions on Friday, however, which allowed people to go to Germany and other places.
Crowds continue to flow across the border. Germany expects 800,000 refugees by the end of the year.
Despite the cheers they received at the Munich train station, two arson attacks took place Sunday night on refugee centers in Germany.
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