With a million Ukrainian refugees and an expected 200,000 asylum claims, migration to Germany this year is set to surpass the 2015 European migrant crisis.

Since the beginning of 2022, the Cypriot authorities say they have repatriated nearly 7,000 migrants from their territory.

The group of around 90 people landed in two German airports on Thursday. The migrants had been rescued in Italy and will now be sent to reception centers in four German states.

The German parliament has passed a new law that will make it easier for foreigners with a short-term 'tolerated stay' permit (Duldung) to get a residency permit.