News Digest

1.4 million refugees are heading to Europe over the next two years, UN warns

At least 1.4 million refugees are expected to flee to Europe across the Mediterranean over this year and next, according to the U.N. refugee agency. The figure, contained in an UNHCR document appealing for funding, is a sharp rise from initial estimates of 850,000. Its original estimates were surpassed within days of the document first being circulated last month. The revised appeal now totals $128 million, also a sharp increase from the initial appeal for $30.5 million. UNHCR asked donors to allow their funds to be allocated flexibly because of the “very volatile operational context”.

It is possible that there could be even greater numbers of arrivals in 2016, however, planning is based for the moment on similar figures to 2015

UNHCR document

Germany took in more than 200,000 migrants last month, a new record, it also emerged on Thursday. “In September alone, we registered more refugees than for the whole of last year,” Stephan Mayer, a Bavarian MP told parliament. His Christian Social Union colleague Joachim Herrmann, the Bavarian interior minister, said up to 280,000 may have entered German territory last month. Interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told parliament on Thursday that there was a limit to how many migrants Europe could accept but Germany was “trying damned hard” to help them.