A new ZDF-Barometer poll suggests that the majority of German voters (51%) believe that Germany can no longer manage the stream of refugees arriving daily in their country, while 45% disagree.

The figures have changed from two weeks ago when 57% thought that Germany could manage, and 40% thought it could not.

In an interview with Bild, CSU leader and Bavarian state Premier Horst Seehofer, put pressure on the federal government to publish a daily update of the number of refugees arriving in Germany. He adds, “Many gestures from Berlin have been understood as an invitation. Angela Merkel must now make it clear that we remain human, we will help, but our capacity to do so is limited

.” Meanwhile, Joachim Hermann (CSU), the Interior Minister of Bavaria, yesterday called for German borders to countries like Austria to be completely closed. The Austrian Interior Minister, Johanna Mikl-Leitner said that Austria would respond to any such “emergency” measures by similarly clamping down on its borders.

Separately, Dutch Justice Secretary Klaas Dijkhoff has called for sanctions on non-EU countries of origin and transit which refuse to take back refugees, saying, “We need to slam our fist on the table… in case these countries don’t cooperate.”

On Thursday, Home Secretary Theresa May urged Europe to “up its game” on deporting failed asylum seekers at a meeting of EU interior ministers. “We need to break the link between people making the dangerous journey to Europe and being able to stay in Europe,” she said. The Times reports that over 60% of failed asylum seekers abscond after their claim is turned down.

Meanwhile, the first group of Eritrean refugees to be relocated under the EU’s new quota scheme have left Italy for Sweden.

Source: Bild Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Süddeutsche Zeitung Reuters Deutschland NOS Rijksoverheid The Times