Germany’s finance minister proposes petrol tax to fund refugees

Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble proposed on 16 January 2016 an EU-wide tax on petrol to help finance the European Union's response to the refugee crisis.

Mr Schäuble considered that the attacks on women in Cologne on New Year's eve had stepped up pressure to find 'a solution to the problem of controlling the European Union's external borders.'

European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told the German newsmagazine 'Der Spiegel' on the 30 January 2016 that he agreed with Mr Schäuble that fresh ideas, such as a fuel tax, were needed to deal with the refugee crisis. He agreed with Schäuble that securing the EU's external outer border would be cost-intensive.

• Primary Source

ESO: Information Guide: European Migration Challenges http://www.europeansources.info/record/information-guide-european-migration-challenges/

ESO: Background information: Will Cologne change Germany's refugee policy? http://www.europeansources.info/record/will-cologne-change-germanys-refugee-policy/

EUObserver, 18.01.16: Germany proposes EU petrol tax to pay for refugees https://euobserver.com/migration/131876

The Local.de, 17.01.16: 'Tax petrol more to pay for migrant crisis' http://www.thelocal.de/20160117/tax-petrol-more-to-pay-for-migrant-crisis-german-minister

EurActiv, 19.01.16: EU considers petrol tax to pay for refugee crisis http://www.euractiv.com/sections/justice-home-affairs/eu-considers-petrol-tax-pay-refugee-crisis-321080

Deutsche Welle, 30.01.16: Refugee crisis: EU's Dombrovskis backs fuel tax idea http://dw.com/p/1HmId

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