German State Threatens Government Over Migrants

Bavaria calls influx of migrants 'massive, uncontrolled'
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Oct 9, 2015 5:20 PM CDT
German State Threatens Government Over Migrants
Young refugees play in a registration center for migrants on Thursday in Germany. The German state of Bavaria is threatening to sue the federal government over the influx of migrants.   (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)

The German state of Bavaria is threatening to go rogue against the federal government over the ongoing arrival of hundreds of thousands of migrants and refugees, Reuters reports. Approximately 200,000 migrants have entered Germany since the start of September—mostly from Austria, which shares a border with Bavaria—and more are on the way. One Bavarian official calls it a "massive, uncontrolled influx." On Friday, the state threatened to take the German government to court if it doesn't do something to slow or stop the arrival of migrants. Bavaria wants migrants to be forced to settle in the first EU country in which they arrive.

In addition to threatening a lawsuit against the federal government, Bavaria is also warning it could start turning away migrants at the Austrian border, the Telegraph reports. But it's unclear how this threat is anything but idle as the German government controls the border and any attempt to set up independent border patrols would likely be illegal. Bavarian officials also said they are considering sending migrants to other parts of Germany without waiting for the federal government to redistribute them. According to Reuters, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said she won't cap the number of migrants allowed into Germany. But the Telegraph notes Bavaria's threats are coming at a time when public opinion is starting to swing against Merkel and the incoming migrants. (More Germany stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X