Tele interview: Germany sets up temporary border controls

The summit was called with different purposes in mind, but by the time Balkan leaders reached Austria it was obvious that the refugee situation was more urgent than infrastructure deals. But critics will be disappointed that more decisive action was not taken, given the scale of the crisis confronting Europe.

Several countries, including Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Slovakia, have revived some border checkpoints that vanished years ago with European Union integration.

There are plans to relocate thousands of migrants in Italy and Greece. They were, he notes, promised “tourists, not refugees”.

Of those making up the current surge of migrants, prospects are worst for those fleeing impoverished Balkan countries like Albania and Kosovo, whose rate of acceptance hovers at around 6 percent or less.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Friday that European Union members reluctant to accept migrant quotas may have to be outvoted and overruled in the 28-member bloc. Clearly, it can; Germany alone has said it can resettle up to 800,000. Many East Europeans say it will not work as most asylum seekers want to settle in West Europe. At a meeting of interior ministers on September 14 eastern European countries blocked plans for 120,000 refugees to be resettled across the EU under a system of quotas. When Merkel opened the border and took in thousands of unregistered refugees, she overrode Hungary’s authority.So it is really not a surprise that the British think Germany has gone bloody insane.

For the Lutheran pastor’s daughter, the refugee crisis is a humanitarian catastrophe that must be addressed, the people said. The crisis will change the face of Germany and all of Europe. “But we must also tell those, who came here only for economic reasons, that they have to leave our country, so that we can help those who are in need of protection”, Merkel said during a speech at the IAA global Motor Show in Frankfurt. If the massive influx of refugees do not integrate well into German society then this may lead to increases in chronic deficit spending and help cast a shadow of a doubt on Germany’s creditworthiness.

Trains from the Austrian city of Salzburg to Munich remain suspended, which has forced migrants and refugees to try cross the bridge over the river Saalach that marks the border, by foot.

I note that some of the oil rich gulf states are not taking refugees from Syria, I feel they should be persuaded they can well afford it.

Some senior party members are said to be appalled by her open-doors policy.

But just as suddenly, Berlin announced a complete U-turn, saying Sunday it was reinstating border controls and reintroducing asylum rules that it had essentially waived for Syrians.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung, the bill would include the most drastic reduction of refugee benefits in the history of Germany.

Yet as she listens to warnings about driving voters into the arms of the far right, it’s still by no means certain she’ll be able to carry the German people with her. Ten years in office and midway through her third term, the refugee crisis might be the Teflon chancellor’s undoing as the nation heads toward the 2017 election. BOTTLENECKS: Local authorities on Greece’s eastern islands have struggled to cope with the numbers coming ashore and ferry them quickly on to the mainland.

The head of Germany’s refugee office, which has been criticised for its handling of record numbers of asylum seekers, has resigned, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.