Angela Merkel assured Germans in 2015 that the country would cope with hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers. Three and a half years later, as the Chancellor prepares to sit down with her state ministers to discuss the government's annual report on refugee and integration costs, it seems she may not have imagined the bill would come to 23 billion euros per year.

Since 2015, Merkel has repeatedly defended her decision to welcome hundreds of thousands of refugees on humanitarian grounds. Germany still continues to grant the largest number of asylum applications of any country in Europe. The country's 16 states are funded by the federal government to house and integrate the arrivals, most of whom are from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the treasury report, in 2018 this cost 7.5 billion euros, 14 percent more than the previous year.

The document shows that more money was also spent on trying to prevent a repeat of the huge number of arrivals in 2015. Last year, the government spent a total of 7.9 billion euros – 16 percent more than in 2017 – on improving living conditions in countries, mostly in Africa, to stop people from leaving and trying to reach the European Union.

The co-leader of the Alternative for Germany (AfD), Alice Weidel, was quick to criticize Merkel's government over the spending, saying: "Monday morning begins with frightening figures from the government: In 2018, the cost of asylum amounted to 23 billion euros, 4 billion thereof for Hartz IV (social welfare payments for which asylum seekers in Germany are eligible to apply after 15 months). This is a costly welcome party at the expense of citizens."

The German minister of state for migration, refugees and integration, Annette Widmann-Mauz, told Reuters that Weidel's comments were "stupid" and in bad taste.

"Fighting the causes of migration, which makes up a large part of the total spending, is just as much in our interest as investing in successful integration," she said. "Whoever dismisses humanitarian protection as a party has understood nothing at all."

The 23 billion figure was reported in Bild, Germany's most popular newspaper, and subsequently taken up by other media. But the public TV broadcaster, ZDF, says it is misleading, because according to the small print, some of the spending in 2018 was only indirectly related to migrants.

For example, included in the 23 billion figure is 870 million euros allocated by the federal government to the states to increase the number of childcare places, not just for migrants but for everyone in the country. The same goes for a further billion euros spent on public housing, again, not specifically for asylum seekers.

ZDF also points out that the largest single item on the government's bill – €7.9 billion to fight the "causes of flight" – should not be counted, because none of that money was spent on asylum seekers in Germany.

It's not possible to tell the real figure spent on asylum in 2018, according to the ZDF report, since the document released by the government does not give enough detail. As to why the figure would have been inflated: It may be good for the government if current expenditure on migrants appears high, according to ZDF. The federal finance minister wants to reduce payments to the states for migrants and asylum seekers. Being able to argue that they are excessive could be useful ammunition when he goes into battle with the state governments.