Plan B? Angela Merkel to scrap open-door refugee policy and TURN AWAY migrants

ANGELA MERKEL could be forced to TURN AWAY migrants from entering Germany if it continues to struggle to control its record influx of asylum seekers.

While the German Chancellor advocates for an open-door policy, leaked papers suggest her Government wants to clampdown on Europe’s escalating migrant crisis.

The Interior Minister has reportedly sent a strong message to the EU that the time “of waving the issue through is over”.

Thomas de Maiziere is said to gave ordered his staff to set out draft plans to seal the country’s borders and a bundle of tough new measres may be enforced in “next weeks” if the number of migrants crossing the EU-Turkish borders does not decrease dramatically.

The robust moves could be an attempt to put pressure on other European members ahead of an EU-Turkey summit next Monday, tasked with working out breakthrough measures to deal with the crisis.

Earlier this year, Ms Merkel revealed she would fight for a joint EU-Turkish plan.

She warned that closing the Greek-Macedonian-Bulgarian border may have “consequences for Greece, the EU and the Schengen zone”.

The move may be seen as a major turnaround for a Government who has come increasingly under fire for its open-door refugee policy.

The scale and nature of the crimes in Cologne has been a disastrous torpedo to the heart of Mrs Merkel's open-door refugee policy and her popularity.

Having initially been hailed for her leadership over the escalating crisis after offering sanctuary to nearly 1.1million refugees fleeing war and persecution in Syria, the German supremo is now facing growing calls for stricter immigration rules.

But the escalating problem shows no sign of abating as the latest figure suggest that some 500,000 migrants will arrive in Germany every year between 2016 and 2020.

In addition to the 1.1m registered in 2015, this would mean Germany could see some 3.6m migrants by 2020.