BERLIN (AP) 鈥 Germany's conservative opposition leader has drawn strong government criticism for suggesting that migrants are getting expensive dental treatment at the expense of established residents.
Friedrich Merz, who leads the center-right Christian Democratic Union, assailed the government's approach to immigration in an appearance Wednesday on Welt television. He said people 鈥済o crazy鈥 when they see large numbers of staying and getting 鈥渇ull benefits.鈥
鈥淭hey sit at the doctor's and get their teeth redone, and the German citizens next door can't get appointments,鈥 he alleged.
on Thursday accused Merz of populism and said it was 鈥渃ompletely inappropriate, particularly in these times. We face great challenges, and one shouldn't contribute to dividing society.鈥
Health Minister Karl Lauterbach told the daily German newspaper Bild that Merz was stirring up hatred against migrants 鈥渂y apparently deliberately creating the false impression that they steal expensive care from Germans.鈥
The head of the German dentists' association, Christoph Benz, was quoted in Friday's edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper as saying that 鈥渄entists are not being overrun鈥 and that he hadn't heard of any practice having an appointment backlog because of having to treat large numbers of migrants.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz鈥檚 government faces intense , particularly ahead of two state elections on Oct. 8. In one of them, Faeser is running to be governor of her home state of Hesse.
A spokesman for Scholz, Wolfgang Buechner, said Friday that 鈥渢he chancellor doesn鈥檛 consider it necessary to comment himself鈥 but added that reporting had made clear 鈥渢hat what Mr. Merz asserted here largely does not correspond to the facts.鈥
Asylum-seekers have only limited entitlement to health care during their first 18 months in Germany, though they can see a doctor in cases of acute illness or pain. They would only be able to get dentures in that period if it was urgent.
After 18 months, asylum applicants entitled to regular German health insurance, which in most cases covers only part of the cost of dental treatment such as crowns and bridges.
Allies of Merz defended the opposition leader.
Cities and communities across Germany have sounded an alarm about a rising number of arriving migrants, saying they are running out of room to accommodate them and to provide kindergarten and school places.
More than 220,000 people applied for asylum in Germany from January to August this year. In all of 2022, . In 2015-16, more than 1 million people applied for asylum in Germany.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than 19 months go, fleeing the brutal war in their country.
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