A German City, Citing Pressure On Services, Gets Green Light To Ban New Refugees
Salzgitter is the first German city to ban more refugees from moving in. Two others have followed. The U.N. refugee agency has criticized the ban, but it is expected to be repeated elsewhere.
Like many industrial cities in Germany, Salzgitter, in the northern state of Lower Saxony, has seen better days.
The sprawling municipality's largest employer, Volkswagen, has been hurt by the diesel emissions cheating scandal and international pressure to cut emissions with electric cars — which in turn has cut into Salzgitter's income from taxes and jobs.
City officials say thousands of Syrian refugees who have moved to Salzgitter are making things worse, overwhelming government-provided services and schools. So last month, the Lower Saxony state government voted to ban refugees from moving to
