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Germany migrants: Merkel averts coalition government split Germany migrants: Merkel averts coalition government split
(about 2 hours later)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reached a deal on immigration to end a row that threatened to break up her four-month-old coalition government. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reached a deal on immigration to end a row which threatened to break up her four-month-old coalition government.
Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has now dropped his threat to resign after hours of talks. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who leads her Bavarian CSU allies, has now dropped his threat to resign.
Mrs Merkel agreed to tighten controls at the Austrian border to stop people who have applied for asylum in other EU countries from entering Germany.Mrs Merkel agreed to tighten controls at the Austrian border to stop people who have applied for asylum in other EU countries from entering Germany.
Transit centres will be set up to hold them until they can be sent back.Transit centres will be set up to hold them until they can be sent back.
Mrs Merkel described the deal as a good compromise after tough negotiation.Mrs Merkel described the deal as a good compromise after tough negotiation.
However, questions are already being asked about how it will work on the border with Austria. The government in Vienna said on Tuesday it would prepare measures to protect its southern borders and seek a quick clarification of the German decision. But her centre-left Social Democrat (SPD) partners in the coalition voiced scepticism. Their spokesman on migration, Aziz Bozkurt, told the daily newspaper Die Welt that "transit centres are in no way covered by the coalition agreement".
Mr Seehofer leads the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU). The SPD rejected a proposal for such centres in 2015, when the migrant numbers entering Bavaria from Austria were far higher than now.
"After intensive discussions between the CDU and CSU, we have reached an agreement on how we can in future prevent illegal immigration on the border between Germany and Austria," he told reporters as he was leaving the CDU's Berlin headquarters. 'New border regime'
The BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin says Mr Seehofer may have overplayed his hand by issuing his ultimatum, only for Mrs Merkel to return from Brussels on Friday with an EU-wide strategy and bilateral agreements with more than 10 countries. Mr Seehofer's conservative Christian Social Union (CSU) is the Bavarian sister party of Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU).
The CDU-CSU deal speaks of a "new border regime" in Bavaria.
"After intensive discussions between the CDU and CSU, we have reached an agreement on how we can in future prevent illegal immigration on the border between Germany and Austria," Mr Seehofer told reporters in Berlin.
The Austrian government says it is seeking clarification of that, and it is preparing measures to protect its southern borders with Italy and Slovenia.
Is the deal legal?Is the deal legal?
By Laurence Peter, BBC NewsBy Laurence Peter, BBC News
The deal raises various questions about fair treatment of asylum seekers, as well as questions about the functioning of Schengen - the EU's passport-free travel across internal borders.The deal raises various questions about fair treatment of asylum seekers, as well as questions about the functioning of Schengen - the EU's passport-free travel across internal borders.
The idea of the new transit centres appears similar to the transit regime at airports, where travellers do not actually enter the country.The idea of the new transit centres appears similar to the transit regime at airports, where travellers do not actually enter the country.
But in many cases it may not be easy for Germany to identify which irregular migrants have already registered in another EU country. So how long will they have to stay in a transit centre? Such centres may well need tight security, to keep out people-smugglers and other criminals. Would such a closed regime encourage abuse of human rights, or turn them into prisons?But in many cases it may not be easy for Germany to identify which irregular migrants have already registered in another EU country. So how long will they have to stay in a transit centre? Such centres may well need tight security, to keep out people-smugglers and other criminals. Would such a closed regime encourage abuse of human rights, or turn them into prisons?
There is much wrangling over EU asylum policy; it is being revised, so there are currently legal grey areas. Because of that, Mrs Merkel is making bilateral deals with EU partners.There is much wrangling over EU asylum policy; it is being revised, so there are currently legal grey areas. Because of that, Mrs Merkel is making bilateral deals with EU partners.
For example, Germany and Austria are both in the Schengen zone and, under its rules, they reimposed temporary border controls because of "continuous secondary movements" of migrants. That is, migrants who moved to Central Europe from the country where they first arrived.For example, Germany and Austria are both in the Schengen zone and, under its rules, they reimposed temporary border controls because of "continuous secondary movements" of migrants. That is, migrants who moved to Central Europe from the country where they first arrived.
On Friday, the EU agreed to set up voluntary "controlled centres" across the EU, to separate refugees - those entitled to international protection - from other migrants. Germany could argue that the planned transit centres comply with that deal. But the language used is vague, lacking detail; governments appear to be doing political quick fixes.On Friday, the EU agreed to set up voluntary "controlled centres" across the EU, to separate refugees - those entitled to international protection - from other migrants. Germany could argue that the planned transit centres comply with that deal. But the language used is vague, lacking detail; governments appear to be doing political quick fixes.
Who said what? What is the political compromise here?
Top CSU officials had said they wanted to stay in government with Mrs Merkel's CDU. Mr Seehofer had threatened unilaterally to empower border police to turn away migrants who had registered previously in another EU country.
Mrs Merkel got backing from both parties at a parliamentary meeting on Monday. Mr Seehofer was not there. Mrs Merkel opposed any such unilateral action - she insisted on agreement with EU partners.
Bavaria's CSU Prime Minister, Markus Söder, said "we're ready for compromises" and "for us now there is no exit from the government". Under her controversial open-door policy in 2015, more than one million migrants - many of them fleeing the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan - entered Germany.
The two centre-right parties share power with the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD), who have yet to give their backing to the last-minute compromise. Under the new deal, transit centres will screen migrants and send back those registered elsewhere - provided Germany has a bilateral agreement with the country concerned. That is a more regulated procedure than what Mr Seehofer had demanded.
SPD leader Andrea Nahles had already warned that "my patience has worn thin". If there is no such bilateral agreement, a migrant will go back into Austria. But it is not clear whether Austria's screening procedures will mirror Germany's.
"We want a humanitarian, but also realistic, migration policy," she told a news conference. Mrs Merkel says Greece and Spain have agreed to take back migrants stopped at the Bavarian-Austrian border who are proven to have entered their countries first.
How did the events unfold? But Italy - where most irregular migrants arrive - does not want to take back migrants who reach Germany.
On Sunday evening, the CDU passed a resolution supporting Mrs Merkel's position on migration. CDU General Secretary Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said the party believed a European solution was necessary. The divisions within the German government reflect a bigger split in the EU over migration. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland - the Visegrad Group - refuse to accept any migrants from other EU countries.
Then reports emerged from the CSU that Mr Seehofer had offered to step down both as party leader and interior minister.
Mr Seehofer complained that he had held a "conversation with no effect" with Mrs Merkel on Saturday.
Senior CSU figures, including Mr Dobrindt, immediately tried to persuade Mr Seehofer not to quit. Then early on Monday Mr Seehofer announced he had agreed to hold final talks with the CDU as a "concession".
What did Mrs Merkel negotiate with the EU?
Mrs Merkel stayed up with EU leaders until dawn on Friday to clinch a new deal on migrants.
She said Greece and Spain had agreed to take back migrants stopped at the Bavarian-Austrian border who were proven to have entered their countries first - a move she hoped would allay Mr Seehofer's concerns.
"The sum of all we've agreed is equivalent to what the CSU wants," she said.
However, Italy - where most irregular migrants arrive - does not want to take back migrants who reach Germany.
The divisions within the German government over the issue are also being played out in other EU countries, and three countries later said they were not part of the German deal: the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.