Germany: Europe cannot fail on refugee question - Merkel

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that it is a "European responsibility" to solve the refugee crisis, during her speech at the Bundestag in Berlin, Wednesday. Merkel also said, that if Europe were to fail in solving the refugee crisis, then it would "would lose a crucial founding incentive of a united Europe, that defined Europe since the beginning." Merkel called upon all EU member states to see the refugee crisis as a collective issue, only then, she said, will the EU able to "attend to removing international conflicts and the root causes of refuge." Merkel also spoke about the next stage after taking in refugees, stating that she wanted to legislate for the "correct integration into the German society." Talking about post-war period, when Germany relied 'guest workers' mainly of Turkish origin, who were recruited to fill labour gaps but were not given citizenship, leading them to live in what Merkel called "parallel societies." Noting the social problems this caused, Merkel said Germany "must learn from the experience of the 1960s, when we recruited guest workers, and, from the outset, give absolutely the highest priority to integration. If we do this well, then it will bring more opportunities than risks." 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, potentially facing deportation should they try to register in another member state. However, Germany is now permitting officers to process applications of asylum seekers even if they travelled through other EU countries first. Authorities estimate that up to 800,000 people could apply for asylum in Germany by the end of 2015.