Govt to limit asylum seekers

Germany's new government on Wednesday said that it would reject most asylum seekers at its borders as conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz seeks to limit irregular immigration and curb the rise of the far-right.

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The move is a key part of Mr Merz's plans to wrest the initiative away from the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD), which came second in February's general election and has continued to climb in the polls.

Mr Merz said he had informed French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in advance, telling Welt TV that the “temporary” measures “are necessary as long as we have such high levels of irregular migration in the European Union”.

Germany’s new government, installed on Tuesday, has moved to boost its border police and ordered officers to reject undocumented migrants including asylum seekers, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said.

Exceptions would be made for “vulnerable groups” including pregnant women and children, he added.