Hamburg/Wiesbaden (dpa/lhe) - Before the refugee summit by Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Hesse's Prime Minister Boris Rhein calls for more support for the federal states. "The state of Hesse spends 800 million euros a year to deal with the refugee situation. Of this, 300 million comes from the federal government and 500 million from our state budget. That overwhelms us more and more," said the CDU politician in an interview published on Wednesday "Mirror".
He has the feeling that "Berlin hasn't arrived at all" about what's going on in regions like the Hessian Odenwald or the Bergstrasse. "I speak to mayors and district administrators every day who just don't know how to accommodate people anymore." Above all, he expects Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) to make immigration a top priority.
Rhein also criticized Faeser's attempts to liberalize the right of residence. Initiatives such as easier family reunification or an earlier right to stay under the Opportunity Residence Act came "at the wrong time," said the Prime Minister. "In view of the current immigration from the Ukraine and other crisis regions, how can you still turn these screws? It creates a very dangerous mixture." He could "only advise the federal government to refrain from all these projects".
At the same time, Rhein expressed his appreciation for Faeser, who is running against him as the SPD's top candidate in the Hessian state elections in October. "I appreciate Ms. Faeser very much," he said. "Nancy Faeser and I are competing for the same office in the state elections in October. Nevertheless, I believe that there is mutual respect and sympathy."
