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Germany will no longer accept refugees from Italy, backing out from a European solidarity initiative over perceptions Rome has failed to meet its obligations to take back migrants under an EU resettlement plan.
Berlin had voluntarily pledged to help overwhelmed EU states by taking in 3,500 migrants, an Interior Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday. So far, it has accepted more than 1,700 under the scheme, launched last June.
But arguing that Italy had 'for some time' stopped receiving migrants returned from Germany under the Dublin Regulations, it announced it would 'postpone until further notice' its offer of support in a blow to European solidarity.
Under the Dublin Regulations, migrants are supposed to stay in the EU country they reach first - and are returned to their first point of entry if they move on to another.
The spokesperson for Berlin said yesterday this applies to over 12,400 people - but only ten have been relocated to Italy so far.
They added: 'Given the currently high migratory pressure of Germany, the ongoing suspension of Dublin transfers by some member states, including Italy, reinforces the major challenges Germany is currently facing in terms of its reception and accommodation capacity.'
Europe is currently facing record crossings, up 13 per cent year-on-year, with Italy among the countries most affected. More than 123,800 irregular migrants and asylum seekers have arrived in Italy this year, including more than 8,000 this week.