Don’t blame me for migrant flood, says Merkel

Angela Merkel: 'The refugees will not be stopped if we just build fences'
Angela Merkel: 'The refugees will not be stopped if we just build fences'
SEAN GALLUP/GETTY IMAGES

Angela Merkel has defended her handling of the migrant crisis and denied that the influx of a million or more asylum seekers into Germany had anything to do with her generous welcome.

Criticism has been growing of Mrs Merkel’s refusal to set a limit to the number of refugees Germany can take and the signals sent out by her embrace of migrants which has caused a clash with neighbouring countries.

She went on a primetime TV talkshow to reject claims that her behaviour acted as a “pull factor” through actions such as posing for cameraphone pictures with new arrivals last month.

“Do you believe that hundreds of thousands of people leave their homes because of a selfie with the chancellor, that that is why they