Cameron holds low-profile talks with Merkel

Germany’s vice chancellor Sigmar Gabriel on Saturday accused the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives of playing on “fears” over refugees. Remarking on the dramatic rise of asylum seekers in the country he said, “This year, more than 490 criminal attacks have been committed against asylum centers”.

Seehofer stopped short of a previous threat to close Bavaria’s borders – which as the state’s minister-president he does not have the legal power to do – while saying if the government did not act to improve the situation, “we’ll do whatever is necessary”.

The package of measures proposed by the Bavarian government also includes spending about € 489 million on a program called “Encouraging social cohesion and strengthening integration.”

Dame Anne said: “The United Kingdom benefits hugely from the European Union science budget and as a full member of the European Union, we can also influence and contribute leadership to the research programmes”.

Their intervention comes just as a new opinion suggests that, on refugees, Germany is a country divided – and growing more pessimistic.

She added that if refugees were sent back Austria would have a “humanitarian crisis” on its hands – and that there could be violent protests and riots if people who want to stay in Germany are forced to return to Austria. On peak days last month, 10 000 arrived on a single day.

Thousands of migrants continue to come into Germany on a daily basis.

Seehofer’s warning of a constitutional challenge against the federal government intensifies his clash with Merkel, who he says has bungled the response to the biggest refugee influx since World War II.

Mr Seehofer said over 225,000 refugees have arrived in his southern state in less than five weeks and the authorities are stretched beyond the limit to house and care for them.

He also said a cap on the numbers was necessary “to guarantee our domestic security”.

“We agreed that if the federal government does not take effective steps soon to limit the continued flow of asylum-seekers …”

But in her television interview, Merkel insisted closing Germany’s borders was not an option.

Those carrying out the attacks “must be made to understand that they are committing unacceptable offenses: assault, attempted murder, arson,” he said, according to the BBC. “If you build a fence, people will find other ways”.