Berlin – German Chancellor, Angela Merkel and Sweden’s Prime Minister, Stefan Lofven, have called for a coordinated and mandatory system for the redistribution of asylum seekers within the European Union (EU).
Germany, along with Sweden and Austria, has also requested more help from neighbouring countries to cope with the throngs of people.
The three countries have received thousands of refugees, many fleeing conflict in Syria and Iraq, while other EU countries have resisted calls for a quota system to redistribute asylum seekers.
Ahead of the meeting with Merkel in Berlin, Lofven underlined that the EU had to do more as an entity.
Citing the need for a permanent and mandatory redistribution system when catastrophes cause a surge in the number of refugees in one country, Lofven noted that voluntary solutions were not enough.
After meeting Merkel, Lofven will fly back to Sweden to meet with Austrian Chancellor, Werner Faymann.
Germany and Austria agreed on Saturday to take in refugees that had been prevented by Hungary from traveling further west.
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Hungary had cited EU rules that require asylum seekers to file applications in the first EU state they arrive in. (dpa/NAN)