Getty Angela Merkel said Germany has done enough and other countries need to step up their efforts

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The German Chancellor said other European Union (EU) members need to accept refugees at a faster rate to reduce the backlog of people stuck in countries in the southeast of the bloc. Speaking in Vienna at a meeting with nine other heads of government, she said: “In view of the many refugees who are already with us, other EU countries will have to jump in.” Mrs Merkel, who operated an open-door policy last year which led to 1.1million refugees entering Germany, said it is “encouraging” other EU states have started accepting refugees.

In view of the many refugees who are already with us, other EU countries will have to jump in Angela Merkel

But, she warned the EU’s “mechanism is too slow” to be able to distribute people who have filed asylum applications. In the second quarter of this year, the bloc accepted 305,700 asylum applications, edging the total to about 1.5m over the past year. Germany took in more than 60 percent of those in the three months ending in June.

Getty Leaders of EU countries along the Balkans route and EU politicians met in Vienna

The Vienna summit of leaders of nations along the Balkans route was called in a bid to unblock disagreements at the heart of the immigration problem, Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern said. He added: “You will never be able to close a border completely, but for Germany it’s been too much and I understand the concern.” Mr Kern said he wants to make a financial deal with Niger, Mali, Egypt and Senegal along the same lines of the EU-Turkey deal to alleviate pressure from North African migrants. He also suggested deals should be made with Pakistan and Afghanistan to clear the way for deporting more migrants from Greece where they live in overcrowded conditions.

The controversial EU-Turkey deal means Greece is able to send back Syrian migrants to Turkey in exchange for the EU giving Turks visa-free travel across Europe as well as financial aid to Turkey. However the agreement has been riddled with problems as Turkey refuses to change its counter-terror policy, and even pulled its border control guards from Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

Getty The Egyptian coastguard rescued 133 bodies after am Italy-bound boat of 450 migrants capsized

Getty Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern put forward ideas to quell the flow of migrants

Mr Kern, however, believes the deal is successful. He said: “We have a successful model with Turkey and this is the model on which we want to build.” Mrs Merkel suggested EU personnel could be dispatched to Greece to help manage the refugee build-up there.

Migrants clash with police across Europe Wed, February 15, 2017 Migrants clash with each other in over crowded camps across Europe. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 107 Moroccan Police look at immigrants trying to jump the six-meter-high fence in Ceuta, Spanish enclave on the north of Africa, 09 December 2016.

Thousands have been left stranded on Greek islands unable to cope with the numbers after Austria and its Balkan neighbours shut their borders, closing off the migrant route to western Europe. Athens was infuriated by the border restrictions but tensions with Germany eased since the EU-Turkey deal was implemented in March. Mr Kern suggested military forces would be allowed to help in some cases and more staff from EU border force Frontex should be provided to ensure member states meet commitments already made.