Germany: Interior minister reinstates 'temporary' border controls with Austria

German Minister of Interior Thomas de Maiziere said that the country was reintroducing temporary border controls along the EU's internal borders, during a press conference in Berlin on Sunday. "As a start, the focus will be put on the border with Austria," he said. He added that the goal of these measures was to "limit the current influx to Germany, so we can return to orderly procedures for entry." Germany is currently permitting border officers to process asylum seekers' applications even if they first travelled through other EU countries. Authorities estimate that up to 800,000 people could apply for asylum in Germany by the end of 2015. Germany has emerged as the priority destination for many Syrian refugees travelling to the EU after Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that the country would suspend the Dublin regulation, essentially granting Syrian asylum seekers special status. The regulation states that refugees and migrants can only claim asylum in the country they first enter in the EU, with them potentially facing deportation should they try to register in another member state.