GETTY Angela Merkel faces a headache amid claims migrant numbers in Germany could soon double

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Johannes Singhammer, vice president of the Germany’s parliament (known as the Bundestag), warned: “The burden of family members’ immigration could be higher in the immediate future than the burden of newly arriving Syrian refugees. “According to my information from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees [BAMF], each recognised Syrian refugee will bring at least one family member.”

He claimed this could result in a crisis for German local authorities, adding: “There may not be enough living space, teachers, and educators at some point.” Since the migrant crisis began, Germany has accepted more than one million migrants and the new family reunification rules mean this number could be set to increase significantly. Earlier this year, BAMF estimated the rules could bring an extra 500,000 Syrian migrants to Germany.

GETTY Johannes Singhammer (L) claims a surge in migrants arriving in Germany could put huge strain on loca

According to my information from the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees [BAMF], each recognised Syrian refugee will bring at least one family member Johannes Singhammer

Christian Social Union (CSU) member Singhammer has proposed the idea of ‘safe cities’ being created in North Africa as an alternative solution for refugees trying to flee their home countries. These areas would be used to process asylum claims before allowing people to travel to Europe and come after Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz proposed a similar idea, suggesting asylum claims be processed offshore on Greek islands.

Migrants clash with police across Europe Wed, February 15, 2017 Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 107 Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.

GETTY Migrants arriving in Germany from Austria are checked by police earlier this year