Costly 'Unwelcomed' Guests: Refugee Crisis May Cost Germany €10Bln Annually

The consequences of the refugee crisis for Europe may be fatal. The influx of refugees may cost Germany €10 billion a year and lead to an increase in nationalist and extremist movements, Contra Magazin wrote.

Germany expects more than a million refugees this year. By 2020, there could even be 5 million people.

One of the main issues in this regard is the problem of resource distribution. While most adults in Germany take care of themselves and earn money for living, refugees and migrants need to receive external government support for quite a long time, the magazine wrote.

The question is: who will have to pay for these expenses?

“Will it be someone from nearly 50 percent of workers who earn less than 1,500 euros per month? Or will it be somebody from 70 percent of retirees who receive less than 1,000 euros a month?” the magazine wonders.

The annual expenditure for 1 million refugees will be around 10 billion euros. If Germany — which is now most affected by the increasing influx of refugees — decides to fund the necessary provisions through taxes, it would have to increase the tax rate by 7% annually.

The magazine wrote that refugees cannot be rapidly integrated into the labor market. On the one hand, there is not enough educated work force among refugees and migrants; on the other hand, they need time to overcome language barriers and be employed in accordance with their qualifications.

Moreover, the growing influx of refugees can lead to the spread of extremism. Especially, local residents with low income will not be quite enthusiastic about covering the steadily increasing costs for “unwelcomed” newcomers.