Germany pauses accepting vulnerable refugees through UNHCR programme

Germany has temporarily stopped accepting vulnerable refugees under a United Nations resettlement programme, dpa learnt on Tuesday.

The German Interior Ministry and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) confirmed to dpa that no new applications for resettlement are currently being approved, as negotiations to form a governing coalition in Berlin continue.

The next German government is expected to take a tougher stance on migration, which was a central issue in campaigning for February's parliamentary election.

In an exploratory paper, the prospective coalition partners - Friedrich Merz's Christian Democrats, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union and the centre-left Social Democratic Party - have already agreed to end voluntary admission programmes where possible.

Germany has pledged to accept 13,100 refugees over 2024 and 2025 through the UNHCR scheme, which is supported by the European Commission.

According to UNHCR data, 5,061 people have arrived in the country so far.

This includes humanitarian admissions of Syrian refugees from Turkey, which the EU agreed to in 2016.

However, a letter seen by dpa from Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees to the UNHCR suggests that only cases in which proceedings are already at an advanced stage are still being authorized, pending the outcome of coalition talks.

Under the programme, the UNHCR proposes particularly vulnerable refugees living in countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Kenya and Rwanda to be resettled.

German representatives then carry out interviews and security checks on site.

Since joining the scheme in 2012, Germany has taken in around 5,000 refugees per year, behind only Canada and the United States.

However, the new US administration under President Donald Trump has announced it will stop taking in refugees.

UNHCR spokesman Chris Melzer said he expects Germany to resume accepting refugees through the scheme once a new administration is in place.