German Chancellor Angela Merkel still wants an EU summit to discuss Europe's refugee crisis, deputy government spokesman Georg Streiter said on Wednesday.
After Merkel and Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann said on Tuesday they wanted a summit next week, the EU said interior ministers would hold an emergency meeting on Sept. 22.
"The proposed summit will not be about relocating thousands of refugees, but to examine how the EU can work together to tackle the root causes of the mass migration and how the refugees can be better protected in their countries of origin.
This will require enormous effort", Angela Merkel said.
Merkel defended her government's decision last week to re-introduce border controls, especially along the country's border with Austria, saying this was necessary to enable the registration of asylum-seekers and to facilitate and orderly entry into this country.