Migrant crisis: Germany's Merkel says EU quotas are a 'first step'

Migrant crisis: Germany's Merkel says EU quotas are a 'first step' Mandatory quotas determining how many migrants each European Union country should take in are a "first step", German Chancellor Angela Merkel says. She was speaking as the EU continues to grapple with a huge influx of migrants, which peaked at the weekend. The European Commission is set to announce plans on Wednesday, including quotas, to distribute 120,000 migrants among member countries. Germany says it can cope with more in the future but wants the burden shared. Mrs Merkel was speaking alongside the visiting Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven. Their countries have so far taken in the most Syrian asylum seekers. Calling the European Commission's proposals "an important first step", Mrs Merkel added that the EU needed an open-ended "system to share out those with a right to asylum". Image copyright Getty Images Image caption An Afghan family at a gymnasium in Berlin Earlier, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel said Germany could cope with "at least 500,000 asylum seekers a year for several years". Germany, which has waived EU rules to welcome thousands of Syrian migrants, expects more than 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015 alone - four times the 2014 figure. Migrant crisis in pictures The quotas issue has exposed deep divisions within the EU. Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Romania have voiced reservations. But on Tuesday, Poland appeared to soften its position, Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz saying the country would accept more migrants than the 2,000 it first offered. Spain, too, has now said it will accept whatever number is proposed by the European Commission. Source:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34192391

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