Germany is introducing temporary controls on its border with Austria in an attempt cope with the influx of migrants, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said at a press conference Sunday, confirming earlier media reports. "Germany is temporarily introducing border controls again along [the European Union's] internal borders. The focus will be on the border with Austria," de Maiziere said, as cited by the BBC news portal.
#Germany is closing its southern border. Didn't take long for enthusiasm to turn into panic #refugeecrisis https://t.co/1IytHnNv8t
— Bojan Pancevski (@bopanc) 13 сентября 2015
The asylum-seekers must understand that "they cannot choose the states where they are seeking asylum," the minister said, as cited by the media.
Earlier on Sunday, an Austrian railway company spokesperson said that trains to Germany had stopped running. In addition, according to the Bild magazine, the federal government is sending a 2,100-strong riot police force to Bavaria to help secure the border.
By reinstating controls, Berlin is seeking to buy time to cope with the influx, according to news magazine the Spiegel.
How nice of Germany to suspend Schengen after causing #refugeecrisis https://t.co/zKsYHXuIWM
— John Schindler (@20committee) 13 сентября 2015
Transport Minister Alexander Dobrindt had issued a statement earlier Sunday saying that "effective measures are necessary now to stop the influx".
Germany is seen by many as their ultimate destination and the country where they plan to seek asylum. The government expects 800,000 people to seek asylum in Germany this year, nearly twice as many as in any other year since reunification 25 years ago. On Saturday alone, nearly 13,000 refugees reportedly arrived in the German city of Munich.
