Germany's warm welcome for migrants wearing thin

Syrian refugees encounter many difficulties once in Europe

BERLIN -- Like so many Syrian refugees, Mohammed Bazav set his sights on Germany.

CBS News first met the 21-year-old architecture student five weeks ago when he crossed into Hungary, dodging police checkpoints.

Mohammed Bazav first spoke to CBS News while dodging police checkpoints in Hungary on his way to Germany. CBS News

He made it to Berlin, where he said he passed his first interview with German immigration authorities. He was given the equivalent of $800 and told to come back in January for another interview. He's not allowed to work in the meantime.

Right now, there is little to stop Islamic extremists from slipping in among the migrants. The police take fingerprints and check them against international databases like Interpol.

"So many people here without ID, without anything," says Mohammed.

The German government has argued that the migrants will provide a much needed work force to offset the needs of an aging population, but not all Germans are buying it.

Germany struggles to absorb Syrian refugees

"That's what they're selling us these people for, that they will pay our pensions in the future," an upset German named Gregor said. "We have 5 million unemployed Germans! They can't even put their own people don't into jobs."

With more migrants arriving daily, Germany's generosity is being stretched to the limits.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.