German parties agree to hold more talks about migration concerns

A meeting of German politicians on the hotly contested topics of migration and security ended on Tuesday evening with participants staying tight-lipped about the details.

But members of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left government and the conservative opposition both described the discussion as broadly positive. Further talks are expected in the coming days.

The cross-party meeting in Berlin was called following a deadly mass stabbing by a 26-year-old Syrian man at a festival on a central square in the western German city of Solingen last month.

"These were focussed, open and constructive discussions. Now it is a matter of legally examining certain points that we discussed confidentially and then discussing them further," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said afterwards.

"We have agreed on this," the centre-left Social Democrat said.

The Interior Ministry, which hosted the meeting of federal and state leaders, said beforehand the focus would be on a security package announced last week by Scholz's government in response to the attack that killed three people and injured eight on August 23.

The conservative CDU/CSU bloc, however, wanted the talks to centre on ways to significantly curb the numbers of refugees entering the country - not just hardening weapons and asylum laws, which has been the focus of the government.

Thorsten Frei, a senior CDU lawmaker who represented the party, said after the meeting ended that there had been "a good atmosphere of dialogue."

Outlining the bloc's position, he said: "For us, it is crucial that there is actually a reduction in the influx [of migrants], that migration remains manageable and integrable."

He said it was necessary "that there are not only border checks, but that there are actually rejections at the border."

"We had the impression that the points that are important to us had been seriously addressed," Frei said.

He cautioned that the CDU/CSU bloc, which leads national public opinion polls, wanted to see a continued "willingness" on the part of the government.

Frei said the ruling parties had only short amount of time to demonstrate they were serious about immigration reforms: "It's about speed, it's about speed."

Chancellor Scholz did not attend the talks.

Solingen attack's political shockwaves

The suspect in the Solingen attack is an alleged Islamist extremist from Syria. He is being held on charges of murder and suspected membership in the Islamic State terror group.

The man, identified only as Issa Al H, was supposed to be deported from Germany to Bulgaria last year but had nonetheless remained in the country.

The festival stabbings came after a police officer in the city of Mannheim was killed in early June by an Afghan migrant.

Scholz's unpopular government last week proposed stricter rules on carrying knives in public, tight new limits on benefits for asylum seekers, and greater police powers to address suspected Islamist threats.

Asylum seekers who initially registered in other EU countries would no longer be eligible for social benefits in Germany under the proposal.

The changes, which Faeser at the time called "far-reaching" and "tough," would also make it easier to deport foreigners from Germany if they have committed a crime with a weapon.

Conservatives want to limit migration

Germany's main opposition leader, Friedrich Merz of the CDU, said ahead of the talks that "uncontrolled immigration" was the real issue.

"If the coalition wants to talk to us about a solution, then limiting immigration must be the number one topic on the agenda," he said, arguing that migrants entering the country unlawfully needed to be turned away immediately at the border.

"You can't solve the problem" with deportations alone, Merz said.

But there are concerns among many in Germany that rejections at the border would run afoul of the European Union's asylum regulations.

Last week, the Interior Ministry said that anyone who applied for protection in Germany had to be sent to an initial reception centre in the country - even if Germany was not the first country the individual entered.

According to EU rules, the country responsible for an asylum procedure is normally the one in which a migrant arrived in Europe. However, other factors such as relatives already living in a country can also play a role.