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Germany extends border controls for another three months

Xinhua, February 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Germany will extend its border controls for another three months to ensure an orderly inflow of refugees and safeguard public order within the country, the German government announced on Thursday.

Germany's border controls will be extended until May 13, the German Interior Ministry said, adding that other European Union states have been informed of the latest extension.

Germany introduced border controls last September, particularly keeping an eye on the German-Austrian border, as an influx of refugees continued to arrive in the country.

Amid growing public worries about the uncontrolled refugee movement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition has rushed to introduce a series of measures to reform the country's asylum rules, including a second asylum package approved by the German cabinet earlier this month.

Key elements of the so-called Asylum Package II include accelerated asylum procedures, new reception centers and suspended family reunion.

However, Merkel's conservative union and the center-left Social Democrats on Thursday agreed to consider on a case-by-case basis applications of unaccomplished child refugees to bring over their families out of humanitarian considerations. Endit