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Refugee crisis: Germany 'set to close borders and suspend Schengen' Refugee crisis: Germany 'set to close borders and suspend Schengen'
(35 minutes later)
Germany is to reintroduce border controls and will exit temporarily from the Schengen system, according to media reports, after the country’s regions said they could no longer cope with the overwhelming number of refugees arriving from Austria.Germany is to reintroduce border controls and will exit temporarily from the Schengen system, according to media reports, after the country’s regions said they could no longer cope with the overwhelming number of refugees arriving from Austria.
According to Der Spiegel, the interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, is poised to announce new restrictive measures at a press conference in Berlin later on Sunday. They included shutting the country’s borders, sending hundreds of additional policemen to Bavaria and allowing entry to Germany only with a valid passport. According to Der Spiegel, the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, is poised to announce new restrictive measures at a press conference in Berlin later on Sunday. They include shutting the country’s borders, sending hundreds of additional police officers to Bavaria and allowing entry to Germany only with a valid passport.
The emergency measures are designed to give some respite to Germany’s federal states who are responsible for looking after refugees. There is also discussion inside the government about sending troops to the border with Austria, to reinforce security, Der Spiegel reported. Germany has also stopped all trains entering the country across its southern border with Austria, the principal conduit through which some 450,000 of refugees have arrived in Germany this year.
The move comes amid extraordinary scenes at Munich train station over the weekend, and a growing backlash inside Germany over the decision last week by the chancellor, Angela Merkel, to allow unregistered refugees to enter the country. The emergency measures are designed to give some respite to Germany’s federal states who are responsible for looking after refugees. There is also discussion inside the government about sending troops to the border with Austria, to reinforce security, Der Spiegel reports.
On Saturday, 13,015 refugees arrived at the station on trains from Austria. Another 1,400 came on Sunday morning. The city’s mayor, Dieter Rieter, said Munich was “full”, with its capacities completely exhausted. Some refugees slept Saturday night on the station concourse. The move comes amid extraordinary scenes at Munich’s main train station over the weekend and a growing backlash inside Germany over the decision last week by the chancellor, Angela Merkel, to allow unregistered refugees to enter the country.
On Saturday, 13,015 refugees arrived at the station on trains from Austria. Another 1,400 came on Sunday morning. The city’s mayor, Dieter Reiter, said Munich was “full”, with its capacities completely exhausted. Some refugees slept on the station concourse on Saturday night.
Germany’s surprise move comes amid bitter division inside the EU over how to deal with the tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Europe, in the continent’s worst refugee crisis for 70 years. On Sunday, east European countries again insisted they would not accept a plan for mandatory refugee quotas.Germany’s surprise move comes amid bitter division inside the EU over how to deal with the tens of thousands of refugees arriving in Europe, in the continent’s worst refugee crisis for 70 years. On Sunday, east European countries again insisted they would not accept a plan for mandatory refugee quotas.
Interior ministers from the EU’s 28 states are meeting in Brussels on Monday. They will discuss a plan set out last week by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission chief, to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers across the bloc. The refugees would be allocated to each country on the basis of its size and wealth.Interior ministers from the EU’s 28 states are meeting in Brussels on Monday. They will discuss a plan set out last week by Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission chief, to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers across the bloc. The refugees would be allocated to each country on the basis of its size and wealth.
Related: How much longer can Germany keep its doors open to refugees?
Germany, Austria and France support the proposal. But they face opposition from other EU states including Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. On Sunday, the Czech prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, said: “I think it is impossible to retreat. Our position is firm.”Germany, Austria and France support the proposal. But they face opposition from other EU states including Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. On Sunday, the Czech prime minister, Bohuslav Sobotka, said: “I think it is impossible to retreat. Our position is firm.”
Greek authorities, meanwhile, say 28 people have drowned, half of them children, after their wooden smuggling boat capsized in the Aegean sea. The incident happened before dawn on Sunday off the Greek island of Farmakonissi. The Greek coastguard pulled 68 people out of the water. Another 30 managed to swim to land. Greek authorities, meanwhile, say 28 people have drowned, half of them children, after their wooden smuggling boat capsized in the Aegean sea. The incident happened before dawn on Sunday off the Greek island of Farmakonisi. The Greek coastguard pulled 68 people out of the water. Another 30 managed to swim to land.
Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has blamed Berlin for the crisis, and Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s borders. Budapest is racing to complete a fence on its border with Serbia, where 4,330 people crossed on Saturday. On Tuesday, it introduces tough new laws which make crossing the border punishable with jail. Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has blamed Berlin for the crisis, and Merkel’s decision to open Germany’s borders. Budapest is racing to complete a fence on its border with Serbia, where 4,330 people crossed on Saturday. On Tuesday, it introduces tough laws which make crossing the border punishable with jail.
“These migrants are not coming our way from war zones but from camps in Syria’s neighbours. So these people are not fleeing danger and don’t need to be scared for their lives,” Orbán told Germany’s Bild newspaper. European leaders were “living in a dream world”, he added.“These migrants are not coming our way from war zones but from camps in Syria’s neighbours. So these people are not fleeing danger and don’t need to be scared for their lives,” Orbán told Germany’s Bild newspaper. European leaders were “living in a dream world”, he added.
Orbán’s hardline populist stance has exasperated his neighbours. Austria’s chancellor, Werner Faymann, said Hungary’s harsh treatment of refugees was reminiscent of the second world war. “Piling refugees on trains in the hopes that they go far far away brings back memories of the darkest period of our continent,” he told Der Spiegel. Orbán’s hardline populist stance has exasperated his neighbours. Austria’s chancellor, Werner Faymann, said Hungary’s harsh treatment of refugees was reminiscent of the second world war. “Piling refugees on trains in the hopes that they go far, far away brings back memories of the darkest period of our continent,” he told Der Spiegel.
Faymann suggested that if no consensus was reached on Monday in Brussels, Germany and its allies could try to force through a vote on quotas with a qualified majority. He also warned that Austria and Germany – both net contributors to the EU budget – would consider sanctions against countries stubbornly refusing to share the refugee burden.Faymann suggested that if no consensus was reached on Monday in Brussels, Germany and its allies could try to force through a vote on quotas with a qualified majority. He also warned that Austria and Germany – both net contributors to the EU budget – would consider sanctions against countries stubbornly refusing to share the refugee burden.
This might include axing some EU structural funds from which “east European states profit most of all”, Faymann said. As well as quotas, Juncker’s proposal includes establishing hotspots at the frontiers of the European Union, including Greece and Italy, where refugees can be registered under a unitary system. Related: 'There have to be limits': mixed feelings from Germans over refugees
Germany’s federal regions, meanwhile, have said that they struggling to cope with an unprecedented human influx. Berlin’s city government has commandeered two sports halls next to the Olympic stadium to house new arrivals. It is considering making use of a velodrome, empty hangars in a trade fair building, and the iconic Tempelhof airport. This might include axing some EU structural funds from which “east European states profit most of all”, Faymann said. As well as quotas, Juncker’s proposal includes establishing hotspots at EU frontiers, including Greece and Italy, where refugees can be registered under a unitary system.
The CSU, the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrat CDU, has accused the chancellor of making an “unparalleled historical mistake” in opening Germany’s borders. On Sunday, Christopher Hillenband, the president of Upper Bavaria, said the system for dealing with refugees was close to collapse. Sixty-three thousand people had arrived in Munich since late August, he said. Germany’s federal regions, meanwhile, have said that they are struggling to cope with an unprecedented human influx. Berlin’s city government has commandeered two sports halls next to the Olympic stadium to house new arrivals. It is considering making use of a velodrome, empty hangars in a trade fair building, and the iconic Tempelhof airport.
The CSU, the Bavarian sister party to Merkel’s Christian Democrat CDU, has accused the chancellor of making an “unparalleled historical mistake” in opening Germany’s borders. On Sunday, Christoph Hillenband, the president of Upper Bavaria, said the system for dealing with refugees was close to collapse. Sixty-three thousand people had arrived in Munich since late August, he said.
Dedicated trains were now taking refugees north to other parts of Germany, with regular passengers shunted on to alternative services. “It’s not feasible for us to take in the equivalent of a small town’s population every day. It’s simply not doable logistically anymore,” Hillenbrand said.Dedicated trains were now taking refugees north to other parts of Germany, with regular passengers shunted on to alternative services. “It’s not feasible for us to take in the equivalent of a small town’s population every day. It’s simply not doable logistically anymore,” Hillenbrand said.
Mustafa Alomar, a refugee from Manbej, near Aleppo in Syria, said he had sympathy with Europeans who said the refugee crisis was not their problem. But he added: “At the end of the day if you stay in Syria you will be killed. That’s true regardless of whether you are poor, middle-class or rich.” Mustafa Alomar, a refugee from Manbej, near Aleppo in Syria, said he had sympathy with Europeans who said the refugee crisis was not their problem. But he added: “At the end of the day if you stay in Syria you will be killed. That’s true regardless of whether you are poor, middle class or rich.”
Alomar, a former student of English literature at Aleppo university, was living at a refugee hostel in Berlin. His family were in a camp in Syria near the Turkish border. He said three of his friends drowned after their boat from Libya to Italy sank. He was the only one who survived. Alomar, a former student of English literature at Aleppo University, was living at a refugee hostel in Berlin. His family were in a camp in Syria near the Turkish border. He said three of his friends drowned after their boat from Libya to Italy sank. He was the only one who survived.
“We are not angels or Satan. We are simply human beings,” he said.“We are not angels or Satan. We are simply human beings,” he said.