MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Speaking with the national ARD channel, Schaeuble backed Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere’s proposal to bar successful asylum seekers from Syria from bringing their families over to Germany.
"We must restrict family reunions because our capacity to take in [refugees] is not unlimited," the minister said, adding it was a necessary measure because "we can’t have everyone come to Germany."
He added Europe’s capacity to accept migrants was limited too, as he criticized senior European officials for giving would-be asylum seekers false hopes and sending a wrong message by participating in widely-publicized welcome ceremonies for refugees.
The German Interior Ministry said in early October that it had registered some 577,000 asylum seekers within the first nine months of 2015, one-third of whom are believed to be of Syrian origin.
