Germany, Austria agree to limit border crossing points for refugees

Germany and Austria have agreed on Friday to limit the number of border crossing points for refugees to five in order to better deal with the refugee flow, according to German media reports.

A spokesperson for the German Interior Ministry told DPA that refugees who enter Germany through Austria would be brought across the German-Austrian border to the southern German state of Bavaria via only five crossing points in the future.

Transfer and control points, the spokesperson added, will be set up at the crossing sites, in a bid to ensure "an orderly process" regarding the refugee flow.

The local government in Bavaria has accused Austria of endangering Germany's security by bringing large numbers of refugees to its border in recent days without any prior consultation.

Given the dramatic situation at the Austrian-German border, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere urged on Wednesday "an orderly procedure" in dealing with refugees.

"We have to complain that refugees, without warning and after dark, were being driven to the German border without any provisions or forethought ... Austria has agreed on Tuesday to return to an orderly process. I expect that to happen immediately," de Maiziere said.
  Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
31/10/15