Germany warns of major new refugee wave

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany’s interior minister on Thursday warned of a new major refugee wave as thousands of mostly Middle Eastern and Afghan refugees are trying to illegally enter via the European Union's eastern border with Belarus.

"Two days ago, for the first time in many years, we had over 1,000 immigrants a day. If you extrapolate that to the month, then you know that there is an urgent need for action," Horst Seehofer told local broadcaster BILD TV.

He called for a common EU migration strategy aimed at resolving the worsening refugee crisis.

"The solution to the migration problem will only be possible through the European Union," Seehofer stressed.

Berlin has stepped up its border patrol with Poland, deploying an additional 800 police officers to stem the influx of migrants trying to enter the EU via Belarus, according to the Interior Ministry.

For weeks now, people from mostly Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Afghanistan have reportedly been coming to Germany from Poland after they had previously entered Belarus and moved on to the EU.

To this day, Germany is still grappling with the after-effects of its 2015 open-door policy allowing hundreds of thousands of refugees to enter the country.​​​​​​​