Migrants walk along a street after passing the Austrian-German border in Achleiten near Passau, Germany, October 29, 2015. German Chancellor Angela Merkel came under intense pressure for her handling of the refugee crisis on Wednesday, with her Bavarian allies warning of a full-blown coalition crisis unless she takes immediate action to limit a record influx of migrants. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle
BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany's federal states and municipalities could face costs of up to 16 billion euros (11.47 billion pound) next year to deal with the refugee crisis, the Association of German Cities said on Thursday.
Europe's richest country has become a favoured destination for people fleeing war, violence and poverty in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. It expects 800,000 to a million migrants to enter the country this year, twice as many as in any prior year.
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