MIGRANT CRISIS: Angela Merkel pledges to cut German immigration figures but rejects limit

At a gathering of her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, Merkel said Germany would pursue a range of measures to stem the flow of asylum seekers, expected to reach about 1 million this year.

But after weeks of infighting in which the right wing of the party demanded an upper limit on arrivals, Merkel said Germany would continue to live up to its “humanitarian responsibilities”.

“We want to tangibly reduce the number of refugees arriving,” Merkel said to applause. “With an approach focused on the German, European and global level, we will succeed in regulating and limiting migration.”

However, she said Germany had a “moral and political” duty as Europe’s top economic power to continue to help desperate people, particularly those from war-ravaged Syria.

Merkel condemned rich countries for failing to properly fund the UN refugee agency and World Food Programme, saying this was unforgivable

Before an EU summit this week, Merkel said she was banking on a multi-pronged approach to cut refugee numbers, urging stronger protection for the bloc’s external borders, support for Turkey to host refugees long-term and a long-shot bid for a distribution scheme among EU member states.

She touted a range of measures currently being undertaken in Germany, including extending a list of safe countries of origin, expediting repatriation of rejected asylum seekers and increasing staff levels to help process applicants.

The gathering of about 1,000 delegates in the south-western city of Karlsruhe was viewed as one of the most important of Merkel’s 15-year tenure at the helm of the party.

After weeks of internal debate, the CDU staged a show of unity before three key state elections in March and a decision next year on whether Merkel will stand for a fourth term in the 2017 general election.

Source: The Guardian