Migrant influx will change Germany – Merkel

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the “breathtaking” flow of migrants into Germany will “occupy and change” the country in the coming years. She said Germany would speed up asylum procedures and build extra housing, but called on other EU states to help. French President Francois Hollande said quotas for EU countries to relocate 120,000 migrants […]

Chancellor Angela Merkel has said the “breathtaking” flow of migrants into Germany will “occupy and change” the country in the coming years.
She said Germany would speed up asylum procedures and build extra housing, but called on other EU states to help.
French President Francois Hollande said quotas for EU countries to relocate 120,000 migrants were being planned and that France would take 24,000.
Meanwhile, the flow of migrants across Europe shows no sign of easing.
On Monday, large numbers of people were reported to be streaming into Hungary across its southern border with Serbia.
Thousands of migrants who had arrived in Hungary made their way through Austria to Germany over the weekend. Those arriving at Munich station were cheered by locals.
Mrs Merkel thanked volunteers who had helped and welcomed those arriving, saying they had “painted a picture of Germany which can make us proud of our country”.
However, she said that although Germany was “a country willing to take people in”, it was “time for the European Union to pull its weight”.
Germany – which expects 800,000 asylum requests this year – could face costs of €10bn (£7.3bn) next year because of the influx, she added. About 18,000 people arrived in Germany over the weekend.
New quotas drawn up by the European Commission are set to be unveiled on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Muslim migrants are converting to Christianity in their droves in the hope it will greatly improve their chances of winning asylum in Germany.