GETTY Germany expects to receive 500,000 more migrants this year

FREE now and never miss the top politics stories again. SUBSCRIBE Invalid email Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again. We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

The country’s interior minister Thomas de Maiziere told his colleagues to brace for an influx of half a million more migrants in 2016 alone. Mr Maiziere warned Frank-Juergen Wise – Germany’s head of both Federal Office for Migration and Refugees and the Federal Labor Office – in a report scheduled for release later today.

GETTY Thomas de Maiziere warned the country's head of Federal Office for Migration

It comes just weeks after the German government announced that border checks on migrants arriving in the country will continue indefinitely. More than a million migrants arrived in Germany last year after Angela Merkel flung the country's borders open to Syrian refugees.

GETTY More than one million migrants arrived in Germany last year

Migrants go to extreme lengths to cross borders Fri, October 7, 2016 Desperate migrants fleeing Syria and surrounding places have been trying to sneak across borders in incredible ways. These include hiding in suitcases and sleeping next to car bonnets Play slideshow 1 of 40

But the move caused problems for the German government, with Ms Merkel’s own party admitting the country is "on the verge" of being "overwhelmed". A string of German cities were rocked by alleged sexual attacks against women thought to have been committed by asylum seekers on New Year's Eve.

We will send back people who do not have valid entry documents and do not apply for asylum in Germany. Thomas de Maiziere