The German government intends to stop funding non-governmental organisations (NGOs) conducting migrant search and rescue missions in the central Mediterranean from 2024 following protests from Italy, Bild newspaper reports.
However, it could take more than a month before the decision is finalized, the paper added.
In the 2023 budget the German foreign ministry had reportedly allocated around two million euros for NGOs participating in the so-called civil fleet of vessels engaged in the sea rescue of migrants and refugees between Italy and north Africa.
"Now the U-turn: in the draft 2024 budget, the ministry has not included the same two million allocation" for NGOs, the paper wrote on Friday, citing sources in the budget committee who reportedly claimed the omission "is not an oversight".
"The Chancellery is opposed to the additional payment, and the foreign ministry thinks the same way," the sources said.
However, a report by the same paper on Saturday suggested that lawmakers representing the Social Democrats of Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Greens of Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock may be opposed to the move.
"In two weeks' time, the budget managers of the parties (in the majority 'traffic light' coalition) will discuss Baerbock's budget. In mid-November, the budget committee will meet to finalise the 2024 budget. At that point it will finally be decided whether or not the 'sea rescuers' will continue to receive tax money from Germany," wrote Bild in its paper edition on Saturday. "When it comes to money, it is not the government but parliament that has the final word," added the paper, claiming to have information that the Greens parliamentary group is already lobbying for the allocation for sea rescue to be reincluded in next year's budget.
"Now the government will have to fight with the 'traffic light' parliamentarians, in particular with the Greens parliamentary group, to keep millions for sea rescue activists out of the budget," continued the paper.
"Otherwise, Germany will face enormous problems with (Italian Premier Giorgia) Meloni," concluded Bild.
Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz appeared to patch things up at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the informal European Council meeting in Granada on Friday following tensions over migrants.
The row centred on the decision by Germany to fund German NGOs that carry out search-and-rescue operations in the central Mediterranean and then disembark rescued the migrants and refugees in Italy.
There had also been differences between the two States over the key crisis management section of the new EU pact on migration and asylum, but agreement was reached on this on Wednesday after Germany dropped an amendment.
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