Berlin, September 13
Germany re-imposed border controls on Sunday after Europe's most powerful nation acknowledged it could scarcely cope with thousands of asylum seekers arriving every day.
Berlin announced that the temporary measure would be taken first on the southern frontier with Austria, where migrant arrivals have soared since Chancellor Angela Merkel effectively opened German borders to refugees a week ago.
"The aim of these measures is to limit the current inflows to Germany and to return to orderly procedures when people enter the country," said Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, adding that this was also necessary for security reasons.
Berlin took the step, which is allowed under Europe's Schengen treaty as long as it remains temporary, a day before EU interior ministers hold an emergency meeting to discuss spreading asylum seekers around the 28-nation bloc.
A European Commission proposal that each country should accept refugees under a system of compulsory quotas is meeting strong resistance from some countries, especially in central Europe. Slovakia said on Sunday it would try to block the plan.
Germany, Europe's largest and richest economy, has become a magnet for many people fleeing war and poverty in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Police said around 13,000 migrants arrived in the southern city of Munich alone on Saturday, and another 3,000 on Sunday morning.
Now Germany has joined the list of smaller and poorer countries such as Greece and Hungary that are struggling to manage the huge flow of desperate people.
"This step became necessary. The great willingness to help that Germany has shown in recent weeks, by full-time employees and especially by the many thousands of volunteers, must not be overstrained," de Maiziere said.
The European Commission said Germany appeared legally justified in reimposing border controls, which have been removed in recent decades across much of the continent, and urged action at Monday's meeting in Brussels. — Reuters
Limit of ability
Berlin made clear it needed help from EU partners."It's true: the European lack of action in the refugee crisis is now pushing even Germany to the limit of its ability," Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who is also vice-chancellor, said
With large numbers of migrants stuck in chaotic conditions on European borders, Merkel last weekend stopped enforcing the EU's "Dublin" rules under which asylum seekers should register in the first member state they arrive in
De Maiziere defended her decision but insisted the Dublin rules were still valid. "We can't allow refugees to freely choose where they want to stay, that's not the case anywhere in the world,"
Most asylum seekers are refusing to stay in the poorer southern European countries where they arrive, such as Greece, and are instead making their way to Germany or Sweden
Germany re-imposed border controls on Sunday after Europe's most powerful nation acknowledged it could scarcely cope with thousands of asylum seekers arriving every day.
Berlin announced that the temporary measure would be taken first on the southern frontier with Austria, where migrant arrivals have soared since Chancellor Angela Merkel effectively opened German borders to refugees a week ago.
"The aim of these measures is to limit the current inflows to Germany and to return to orderly procedures when people enter the country," said Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere, adding that this was also necessary for security reasons.
Berlin took the step, which is allowed under Europe's Schengen treaty as long as it remains temporary, a day before EU interior ministers hold an emergency meeting to discuss spreading asylum seekers around the 28-nation bloc.
A European Commission proposal that each country should accept refugees under a system of compulsory quotas is meeting strong resistance from some countries, especially in central Europe. Slovakia said on Sunday it would try to block the plan.
Germany, Europe's largest and richest economy, has become a magnet for many people fleeing war and poverty in Syria and other parts of the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Police said around 13,000 migrants arrived in the southern city of Munich alone on Saturday, and another 3,000 on Sunday morning.
Now Germany has joined the list of smaller and poorer countries such as Greece and Hungary that are struggling to manage the huge flow of desperate people.
"This step became necessary. The great willingness to help that Germany has shown in recent weeks, by full-time employees and especially by the many thousands of volunteers, must not be overstrained," de Maiziere said.
The European Commission said Germany appeared legally justified in reimposing border controls, which have been removed in recent decades across much of the continent, and urged action at Monday's meeting in Brussels. — Reuters
Limit of ability
Berlin made clear it needed help from EU partners."It's true: the European lack of action in the refugee crisis is now pushing even Germany to the limit of its ability," Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel, who is also vice-chancellor, said
With large numbers of migrants stuck in chaotic conditions on European borders, Merkel last weekend stopped enforcing the EU's "Dublin" rules under which asylum seekers should register in the first member state they arrive in
De Maiziere defended her decision but insisted the Dublin rules were still valid. "We can't allow refugees to freely choose where they want to stay, that's not the case anywhere in the world,"
Most asylum seekers are refusing to stay in the poorer southern European countries where they arrive, such as Greece, and are instead making their way to Germany or Sweden
