More Syrian refugees to Germany

The plan to take in 10,000 more refugees from Syria had been proposed by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier last month, but it need the approval of the country's 16 states before it could be implemented.

The interior ministers from each of the states signed off on the plan at a meeting in the western city of Bonn on Thursday.

"Germany stands by its humanitarian responsibility. It is therefore right that we, together, help even more," German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said in a statement released following the meeting.

He added, with Thursday's decision, Germany was seeking to lead by example.

"This is a decisive signal to a lot of European countries, to take more responsibility than they have up until now," he said.

The DPA news agency also cited de Maiziere as saying Germany had actually already accepted around 40,000 refugees from Syria since fighting there broke out more than three years ago, but that most of these had arrived as asylum seekers as opposed to being part of specific government programs.

Praise and criticism

The decision to double the number was welcomed by the general secretary of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, Michael Diedring.

"The 20,000 people who will be resettled to Germany will not have to risk their lives at sea or be abused by smugglers in order to reach safety in Europe," he said. "This is an important gesture of solidarity towards the refugees and Syria's neighboring countries hosting almost 3 million persons fleeing the conflict."

The aid agency Pro Asyl, though criticized the move as not going far enough. It had called on the interior ministers to make it possible for 80,000 relatives of Syrians already residing in Germany to join their families here.

pfd/msh (epd, AFP, AP, dpa)