BERLIN , Sept. 23 (UPI) -- Germany's Interior Minister called on other European Union countries to do more to house refugees fleeing conflict zones.
"It is ridiculous that four, five countries take on the majority of refugees. This is not the European-wide solidarity that we so urgently need," Thomas de Maiziere told the magazine Der Spiegel.
Of the 108,300 migrants who have come to Europe in the past six months -- the largest group in that number fleeing war and instability in Syria -- Germany has welcomed the most, 36,800 people.
Jurgen Soyer, a spokesman for the Munich, Germany, refugee agency Refugio, responded to de Maziere's comments, saying, "We (Germany) are the biggest country in the EU. Yes, as the Interior Ministry says, we take on the biggest number, but if you look at it per capita, Sweden is actually on the top there. Germany is solidly in the middle of the pack."
"On Saturday, 75,000 people fled into Turkey (from Syria). Germany has to take an active role in bringing those people to safety," Soyer added.
The European Union has no binding rules regarding entry of refugees, but Parliament Vice President Claudia Roth agreed with de Maiziere's comments, telling German Radio Monday, " I think it's really shameful that there are member countries of the European Union that have, for the most part, taken no refugees at all. Europe's policy has been characterized by the prevention of refugees coming to us, but now we must focus on our responsibility to protect those that do."
