800,000 refugees and counting: Germany urges neighbours to do more

Germany told its European partners they must take in more refugees on Monday as it struggles to cope with record numbers of asylum seekers. Chancellor Angela Merkel, speaking after a weekend in which 20,000 migrants entered Germany from Hungary by train, bus and on foot, described the influx as “breathtaking” and tried to reassure the country the crisis was manageable. However, more than 800,000 refugees will come to Germany this year, the state premier of Germany’s biggest state, North Rhine-Westphalia, said on Tuesday. "I think it’s clear to all of us that the number won’t stay at 800,000,“ Hannelore Kraft said, adding that this government forecast was three weeks old.

What isn’t acceptable in my view is that some people are saying this has nothing to do with them. This won’t work in the long run. There will be consequences although we don’t want that.

Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Tension is rising, however. Police in Hungary used pepper spray on migrants who broke out of a reception center at the border. At Roszke, on Hungary’s border with Serbia, around 300 migrants broke through a cordon around a reception camp and set off down the wrong side of the motorway towards the capital Budapest, Reuters witnesses said. Police were unable to prevent their escape despite using pepper spray as migrants scuffled with officers. Only months after Europe narrowly averted a Greek exit from the euro zone, the refugees have emerged as the bloc’s biggest challenge.

This would be a dramatic political blow for Europe, but also a heavy economic blow, also for those countries that are saying they don’t want to help now.

Vice chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel on countries who were resisting accepting their share of refugees.

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