German Ruling Coalition Agree on New Package of Migration Initiatives

The ruling coalition in Germany has agreed on a so-called second migration package - a set of rules and laws dealing with refugee treatment, Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy Sigmar Gabriel said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — "The Migration Package 2 has been and can immediately be sent to the Cabinet, " the official was quoted by the Spiegel Online on Thursday.

The newly-agreed package includes creation of special institutions for the reception of refugees, where the documents will be processed more quickly than usual. Furthermore package regulates the possibility of migrants who use so-called subsidiary protection to bring the family to Germany, after two years of living in the country.

The subsidized protection is eligible to those who are not considered refugees under the Geneva Convention, or the people who are not under threat due to their race, religion, or nationality.

Europe is struggling to find a solution to a massive refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Germany and Austria are among the destinations most popular with refugees.

Germany is rather loyal and tolerant to the refugee arrivals. According to the budget review, the German government expects to spend €16.52 billion ($18.1 billion) on refugee-related programs in 2016.