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And the Chancellor’s struggling administration has unveiled a raft of new laws in parliament to help cope with the escalating European migrant crisis. A report for The Federal Ministry of Finance revealed taxpayers will be spending £37bn (€43bn) for 2016 and 2017 migrant budget to “meet the challenges of the nation-state”. The asylum and refugee policy from the federal budget perspective report said it was necessary to put Germany “on a good path”.

GETTY Mrs Merkel met French President Francois Hollande in Berlin last week a month after a terror attack

Only a year after the start of the high refugee influx, much has happened in the administration German Finance Ministry

Bundestag politicians have instigated an ‘Asylum Procedures Acceleration Act’ in a bid to speed up the process of deportation. The German parliament has banned family reunion for two years, meaning battles to bring relatives of migrants over to Germany, as currently happens in Britain, will no longer take place. And they have introduced a new law to allow for the easier expulsion of offenders in the case of asylum seekers suspected of committing a criminal offence.

GETTY Berlin held a service to commemorate the victims of last month's attacks

Mrs Merkel's Government says this law will allow them to identify "strange behaviour of foreigners" that could put them at risk of expulsion. And they are set to digitise their immigration protocols as they implement an ‘introduction of proof of arrival’ scheme to identify those who have no paperwork. The Federal Ministry of Finance will also sanction payments for an integration package of £1.72bn (€2bn) annually from 2016 to 2018.

GETTY Angela Merkel attended carnival in Germany last week

Some cash will come from the EU pooled funds from member states to support aspects of the new legilsation. The report said the money “supports the countries permanently, dynamically and structurally”. It added: "The high number of immigrants was limited to the year 2015.

GETTY The far right is surging in the polls and Mrs Merkel is facing being ousted

"Since the beginning of 2016 the access numbers have fallen significantly and remain constant. "For example, 280,000 asylum seekers can be emigrated in 2016. "The federal government has invested in its decision-making processes, administrative procedures and flanked with a good budget IT realigned procedure by the end of 2016. "Only a year after the start of the high refugee influx, much has happened in the administration. "There are also many improvements for those seeking protection: the number of ongoing asylum procedures has already been reduced by one-fourth from the peak, all those seeking protection have been registered, newly arriving refugees have been able to submit their application immediately, and integration courses can already be visited during the asylum procedure.

"At the same time, the Confederation has given comprehensive financial relief to municipalities." The news comes after former EU president Martin Schulz said he got an "incredible feeling" when he found out he had got the green light to take on Angela Merkel in the forthcoming German elections. His plan is to build a "fairer Germany" as he promised to “make the elections this year a real thrill" ahead of his formal resignation as a member of the EU parliament next week.

GETTY German politician and former EU chief Martin Schulz is running against Merkel

Mr Schulz, who earned £227,000 plus allowances and pension as EU president for five years, came to the end of his term two weeks ago. The 61-year-old won the nomination to run for the Germany chancellery after the Social Democrats leader Sigmar Gabriel stood down. Mr Schulz said he is looking at the historic work of 1960s Chancellor Willy Brandt, 1980's leader Helmut Schmidt who ran the country for eight years and turn of the century leader Gerhard Schröder who “were good for Germany.”

BERLIN TERROR: 'TWELVE' dead as truck crashed into crowd at Christmas market Tue, December 20, 2016 A truck crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin killing at least 12 and injuring 48 Play slideshow REUTERS•AFP 1 of 21 A truck crashed into a Christmas market in Berlin killing at least 12 and injuring 48