German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reportedly secured agreements with 14 European Union countries to facilitate the rapid return of migrants who have been rejected for asylum.
The dpa news agency reported Saturday Merkel also informed government coalition partners in a letter she wants “anchor centres” to process migrants at Germany’s borders.
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The developments come amid a standoff between Merkel and her Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who heads her Bavarian-only partner Christian Social Union party. Seehofer wants to turn some migrants away at Germany’s borders, and Merkel insisted on a European-wide solution.
“It is in Germany’s interest to achieve the regulation of migration in a good partnership with our European neighbors,” Merkel said two weeks ago.
“We think that turning people back without consultation at our borders, as a country at the heart of Europe, could lead to negative domino effects that could also hurt Germany and ultimately lead to the questioning of European unity.”
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Merkel on Friday came away from a EU summit with agreements from Greece and Spain to take back migrants previously registered in those countries, and an overall agreement by the 28-bloc to ease the pressure of migration into Europe.
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