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German Interior Minister says progress made on Transit zones for refugees

Xinhua, October 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

The German coalition government has agreed in principle to the establishment of the controversial transit zones for refugees on the German border, German media reported on Friday.

German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere made these remarks on Friday during a visit to the German state of Saxony.

According to German media Focus Online, de Maiziere said, there was no final agreement yet and details are to be negotiated.

However, the coalition partners had agreed in principle that a rapid procedure should arise at the border for people who were probably not entitled to asylum, he said.

"This agreement in principle is a big step," he stressed.

Meanwhile, shortly before the EU summit in Brussels, German Chancellor Angela Merkel will request to bring hundreds of thousands of refugees from the Middle East directly to Europe, so that dangerous journeys can be prevented and the number of refugees can be better controlled, as British newspaper "Guardian" reported on Friday.

After more than 200,000 asylum seekers came to Germany in a month in September, the refugee influx is causing the Germans anxiety. Several public opinion polls showed recently that Merkel has lost popularity. Endit