Berlin - Germany plans to nearly double the workforce in its refugee office, adding up to 2,000 jobs, a minister said Friday, as soaring numbers of people seek asylum in Europe's top economy.
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere announced the planned boost in staffing levels at the federal office for migration and refugees after a high-level meeting on refugee policy at the chancellery.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, the leader of her junior Social Democrat partners in government, Sigmar Gabriel, and several premiers of Germany's 16 states also took part.
De Maiziere said the aim was to speed up the procedure of asylum applications, which, his ministry forecasts, could number about 450,000 this year.
Some of the regions have demanded more federal funds to meet the costs of handling asylum seekers.
Last year, asylum requests to Germany rose 60 percent to more than 200,000, leaving many communities scrambling to house newcomers in old schools, public buildings, mobile homes and army barracks.
AFP
