00:54Germany: Merkel introduces project for quicker integration for refugees
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Berlin, to discuss integration perspectives for asylum seekers through working opportunities, on Thursday.
According to Merkel, a pilot project was introduced between the BAMF and Germany's Labour Agency (BA) aiming to make the whole process of receiving residence and work permits for asylum seekers much easier. "Germany's Labour Agency [BA] is situated in the same building as the BAMF. It will be easier to take care of those who have already received permission to stay in Germany and now want to get a working permit. I think this pilot project between the BA and the BAMF stands for what we want to achieve in the coming months," she explained.
Merkel noted that "integration will be developing partly with the help of children who will learn German very quickly in kindergartens." She also expressed her hopes that "most of people here want to learn German as quickly as possible," she added.
Merkel thanked all BAMF's staff who are working at the moment "under very difficult circumstances" because of the enormous number of asylum applications. "Work is being done very accurately and every single case is being taken very seriously," she said.
The German chancellor also visited a refugee shelter in Berlin earlier Thursday. She was impressed "by the amount of love and compassion refugees are welcomed here."
00:54German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) in Berlin, to discuss integration perspectives for asylum seekers through working opportunities, on Thursday.
According to Merkel, a pilot project was introduced between the BAMF and Germany's Labour Agency (BA) aiming to make the whole process of receiving residence and work permits for asylum seekers much easier. "Germany's Labour Agency [BA] is situated in the same building as the BAMF. It will be easier to take care of those who have already received permission to stay in Germany and now want to get a working permit. I think this pilot project between the BA and the BAMF stands for what we want to achieve in the coming months," she explained.
Merkel noted that "integration will be developing partly with the help of children who will learn German very quickly in kindergartens." She also expressed her hopes that "most of people here want to learn German as quickly as possible," she added.
Merkel thanked all BAMF's staff who are working at the moment "under very difficult circumstances" because of the enormous number of asylum applications. "Work is being done very accurately and every single case is being taken very seriously," she said.
The German chancellor also visited a refugee shelter in Berlin earlier Thursday. She was impressed "by the amount of love and compassion refugees are welcomed here."