Germany is to introduce temporary
controls on its border with Austria to cope with the influx of migrants,
the interior minister has said.
Thomas de Maiziere said refugees could "not choose" their host countries and called on other EU states to do more.
Trains between Germany and Austria have been suspended for 12 hours.
Germany's
vice-chancellor has said the country is "at the limit of its
capabilities" as more than 13,000 migrants arrived in Munich on
Saturday.
Germany expects 800,000 migrants to arrive this year. Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Some migrants spent the night in Munich station
"The aim of these measures is to limit the current
inflows to Germany and to return to orderly procedures when people enter
the country," Mr de Maiziere told a news conference.
He gave no details. The move goes against the principle of the Schengen zone, which allows free movement between many European countries. However, the agreement does allow for temporary suspensions.
Germany's rail service Deutsche Bahn said train services with Austria would be stopped until 03:00GMT on Monday.
Analysis: Damien McGuinness, BBC News, Berlin
Image copyrightReuters Politically
this is a shrewd move by Thomas de Maiziere. His announcement comes
just a day before he travels to Brussels to meet other EU interior
ministers to discuss the migrant crisis. The measure will help him put
pressure on other European countries to do their bit. It highlights just
how much Germany is struggling to cope.
The move could also
serve as a useful threat; after all, Mr de Maiziere said Germany was
controlling the border with Austria "first", the implication being more
could follow. The possibility that Germany might suddenly decide to
control its other borders could well help jolt EU partners into action.
For
migrants, the announcement means Germany is not pursuing an open-door
policy. After weeks of confusion, Berlin is now sending out the clear
message that the Dublin Regulation does still hold, meaning that people
have to apply for asylum in the first EU country they arrive in. After
that, if Berlin gets its way, they will then be sent elsewhere in Europe
according to a strict quota system.
Read more on the migrant crisis
Lyse Doucet: Where does this crisis end? Caring for solo child refugees Crisis explained in graphics What next for Germany's asylum seekers?
Many
migrants have been refusing to register in countries such as Greece or
Hungary, fearing it will stop them being granted asylum in Germany or
other EU states.
The city of Munich, in the German state of Bavaria, has taken the brunt of arrivals over the weekend.
Bavarian Premier Horst Seehofer said the controls sent an "important signal".
Hungarian
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has taken a tough line on the migrant
crisis, told Germany's Bild newspaper he welcomed the new controls,
saying they were "necessary to protect German and European values".
On Sunday, the Czech Republic also said it would boost border controls with Austria. Europe as a whole is struggling to deal with an
enormous influx of people, mostly from Syria but also Afghanistan,
Eritrea and other countries, fleeing violence and poverty.
On
Sunday, Greek coastguards said at least 34 people, including 11
children, drowned when a boat carrying about 100 migrants capsized off
the island of Farmakonisi in the southern Aegean Sea.
The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Greece says it is the largest loss of life in a single incident in the Aegean since the crisis began. Image copyrightAFP/Getty ImagesImage caption
Germany's vice-chancellor said the rate at which
migrants were arriving was straining Germany's ability to cope
Earlier on Sunday, Germany's Vice-Chancellor Sigmar
Gabriel, who is also economy minister, warned the country was being
stretched to its limits by the new arrivals.
"It is not just a
question of the number of migrants, but also the speed at which they are
arriving that makes the situation so difficult to handle," he told the Tagesspiegel newspaper.
Mr
Gabriel also called on European countries, Gulf states and the US to
give billions of euros towards schools, accommodation and food in
refugee camps in the Middle East.
Image copyrightReutersImage caption
Hungary opposes European quotas on the number of refugees it is to accept
A steady stream of migrants is travelling from Greece, through Macedonia, Serbia and Hungary, to Austria and Germany.
Hungary
is aiming to complete a four-metre-high (13ft) fence along the border
with Serbia by 15 September, when tougher measures, including arresting
illegal immigrants, come into force.
The European Commission
announced plans last week for mandatory quotas to share out 120,000
additional asylum seekers among 25 member countries.
Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania are opposed to this.
Media captionThe BBC's Chris Morris explains how the Schengen area was created
The European Union's Schengen zone allows passport-free movement between member countries
26 European countries participate, but not the UK or the Irish Republic
Schengen signatories can re-impose border controls for short period for "public policy or national security" reasons after consulting "contracting parties".
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