By Michelle Martin
BERLIN (Reuters) - German Chancellor
Angela Merkel said Europe needed to protect its external frontiers as it
faces the greatest influx of refugees since World War Two - a crisis
that she said was "testing Europe's mettle".
Hundreds of
thousands of refugees and migrants have arrived in Europe this year from
the Middle East, Africa and Asia, many fleeing war or poverty.
Speaking
in a weekly video podcast released on Saturday, Merkel said Europe
needed to contribute to dealing with this global challenge.
"And
for Europe, this means we of course need to, above all, protect our
external borders across Europe - and protect them together - so that
immigration to Europe is orderly," she said.
"But it also means
we must take on more responsibility for countries where the causes for
people to flee are, or where there are a lot of refugees, such as in
Lebanon, Jordan or Turkey," Merkel added.
Many of those on the
move are heading to Germany, which is Europe's largest economy and has
relatively liberal asylum laws and a generous system of benefits.
A
poll on Thursday showed Merkel's popularity slump to its lowest level
in nearly four years, reflecting growing concern about the flood of
migrants.
More than 200,000 people are estimated to have arrived
in Germany in September alone -- roughly the same as for all of last
year -- and the government estimates that 800,000 or more might come
over the course of 2015.
In her podcast, Merkel said Germany
needed to make clear that those who needed protection would get it but
those who were only coming here for economic reasons would have to leave
again.
"We need to be even more resolute about that and make that clear," she said.
She also said integrating the new arrivals was a "big task" and people should be able to express their concerns about it.
Merkel
said Greece's external border with Turkey - a frontier that many
migrants have crossed on perilous boat journeys - was an issue. Talks
with Turkey were needed and in fact had already begun, she said.
It will also be necessary to provide more development aid and spend more on refugees via UN programs, she added.
