Germany closes borders with immediate effect
Border security has been stepped up at Germany's land borders, with an additional 2,000-3,000 police to the existing 11,000.
The new interior minister has also revoked his predecessor Thomas de Maizière's 2015 directive that non-EU citizens arriving without papers but seeking asylum must be accepted. This means that those seeking asylum in Germany will now be turned away at the border.
At the height of the refugee crisis ten years ago, hundreds of thousands of refugees, mainly from Syria, entered Germany under the now revoked decision. The directive was necessary because Germany is surrounded only by safe third countries, where refugees should have applied.
Meanwhile, Merz's first trip as Chancellor was to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron said France also wanted to protect its borders, describing it as
a very important goal for both of us.
During his election campaign, Merz had promised to implement tough immigration measures from his first day as Chancellor, including strengthening border security and turning back asylum seekers.
