In view of the high number of Ukraine refugees and asylum seekers from other countries, according to a media report, twelve out of 16 federal states are currently blocking the admission of further people seeking protection. However, the Ministry of the Interior reassured: This is nothing unusual.

“Against the background of the high access numbers, twelve countries have currently activated a block in the initial distribution system,” said a spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior to the newspapers of the editorial network Germany (RND) on Saturday.

“The burden on the federal states results from the flight from Ukraine and general migration,” said the spokeswoman. “There is currently also an increase in findings on the Balkan route.”

All in all, the total number of people who have fled from Ukraine to Germany since the beginning of the war is over 980,000 – although recently only an average of 875 have been added per day, said the spokeswoman. The ministry knows that several federal states have expressed concern that they will soon be reaching their capacity limits.

However, temporary bans like this are “not uncommon,” added the spokeswoman. “In addition, distribution is still possible, since large countries are currently continuing to record.”