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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Sept. 14, 2015
Germany introduced temporary controls at its border with Austria Sunday in an attempt to slow down the influx of refugees into the country, as the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wrote on its front page Monday.
Shortly after Berlin's unexpected move, border control officers started conducting passport checks near Austria. This signals a significant reversal in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy, two weeks after the country decided to open its doors to refugees fleeing violence in the Middle East.
The decision to temporarily exit the Schengen Area comes after German regions told the federal government they could no longer cope with the record influx that saw at least 63,000 asylum seekers arriving in the southern city of Munich alone since the end of August, Süddeutsche Zeitung reports.
In an interview with Germany's state broadcaster ARD, Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière said the measure's aim was "to limit the current inflows to Germany and to return to orderly procedures when people enter the country," adding that it was "urgently necessary for security reasons." He also insisted on the need to know who comes into the country, amid reports that fake Syrian passports are in wide circulation.
ABOUT THE SOURCE: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung is one of Germany's leading dailies, founded in 1949. With a focus on business and finance, the "FAZ" is considered center-right politically.
