A pair of Algerian asylum seekers living in Germany and suspected of robbing an elderly woman's handbag used multiple identities to claim asylum and hide previous arrests.

The pair, aged 17 and 31 told police in Essen, western Germany they had fled war-torn Syria after they were arrested on suspicion of stealing the 63-year-old woman's handbag.

However, police soon discovered that both men, whose names have not been released, had been arrested on a number of previous occasions using different identities.

The two migrants are accused of trying to steal this handbag from a 63-year-old woman in Essen, Germany

German police confirmed the men were armed with a pair of scissors, pictured, and a can of pepper spray

When searched, one of the men was armed with a pair of scissors and the other was carrying a cannister of CS gas.

The pair were spotted by suspicious staff and customers who alerted the police who arrested the men at the scene and took them to the police station.

While at the police station, the suspects mocked officers, with the 31-year-old Algerian claiming: 'I am not worried, tomorrow will back on the streets for a bit of zapzarap (stealing).'

Earlier in the week police warned that of many of those questioned during a probe, 150 people in two asylum homes in North Rhine-Westphalia claimed to be from Syria but were really from North Africa, and in addition every second person had registered at least twice giving them an alternative identity, and sometimes as many as four or five times.

One of the suspects, who was armed with a can of pepper spray, pictured, laughed at German police claiming he would be back stealing the following day

A police spokesman said: 'Having multiple identities makes it very difficult to identify serial criminals as their crimes are spread among different aliases.'

A fingerprinting system is being introduced for asylum seekers, but it will reportedly not start to take effect until summer of this year at the earliest.

The duo have been charged with illegal possession of weapons, serial theft and resisting arrest.

German chancellor Angela Merkel is facing increasing unrest over the level of refugees arriving in the country every day.

A poll by state broadcaster ZDF found that a majority of people cannot cope with the influx of refugees over the past 12 months.

Events such as the mass sex attacks on New Year's Eve in Cologne have prompted some Germans to arm themselves with air pistols and CS gas.

Pavel Svedlov, manager of Berlin's Soldier of Fortune weapon shop told the BBC: 'You can buy these items legally in Germany. Though they are illegal to use against other people. But our clients are more concerned about protecting themselves. That is their priority.

'People are coming to Germany with fake IDs or no papers at all, saying they are refugees. We have no idea who they really are. Many Germans feel it's a ticking time bomb.

'The people who came to our shop used to be young men but now we have a lot of female customers and older people too. We normally offer a choice of 15 different types of pepper sprays for example. Now we've sold out and so have our suppliers.'

Chancellor Angela Merkel will press Ankara to help stem the flow of migrants to Europe in talks with Turkey's prime minister.

Germany and Turkey have emerged as key players in the biggest migration crisis to rock Europe since World War II, and both Merkel and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu will seek to drive a hard bargain at the meeting between the two countries' cabinets.

German police have launched major operation in Dusseldorf, pictured, targeting a gang of north African men believed to be involved in an organised theft ring based in the so-called 'Mahgreb Quarter'

Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, is coming under increasing political pressure over the ongoing migrant crisis

German public opinion has shifted dramatically as a result of the constant flow of migrants heading north

The outcome of today's talks are not only important for Merkel, who faces intense pressure at home to impose a cap on Germany's refugee intake, but it will also have resonance across Europe where public opinion is hardening against a record asylum seeker influx.

Despite wintry conditions, thousands of people fleeing war and misery are still embarking on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean to seek a better life in Europe.

Another two boats carrying dozens of migrants sank, killing 21 people, Greece's coastguard said today.

EU member states have been split about how to resolve the crisis, with Austria the latest to draw fire when it decided to impose a limit on its asylum seeker intake.

Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz said his country's measure serves as a 'wake-up call' to push Europe to find a joint solution.

Merkel has so far faced down demands for a quota, after nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers arrived in Germany in 2015.

She has instead promised a 'tangible reduction' in new arrivals, and is counting on international efforts to deliver.