What is needed is a common European line on refugee policy, said Angela Merkel. The foundations are laid out in the common statement issued by the 28 member states on 18 February. "We aim to work together to protect the EU’s external borders, to fight illegal migration and to reduce the number of refugees arriving in Europe," said Chancellor Angela Merkel in an interview with the newspaper Magdeburger Volksstimme on 2 March. Given the precarious situation faced by refugees at the border between Greece and Macedonia, the Chancellor added, "Greece must not be left alone with the problem."

Thousands of refugees are stranded in Idomeni on the Greek side of the border, and their numbers are swelling every day. The Macedonian government closed the border on 26 February and has used tear gas to prevent migrants crossing the border.

The policy of waving through refugees must end, says Chancellor

Following a meeting with Croatia’s Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković (on 1 March) the Chancellor stressed that the aim is to return to Schengen and end the policy of waving through refugees. At the most recent meeting of the European Council in mid-February, the EU states undertook to return gradually to the Schengen system, she reported.

Refugees have no entitlement to pick and choose the European state in which they wish to request asylum, said Angela Merkel. The EU states must protect their external borders effectively and ensure that no one state is over-stretched by arriving refugees.

Further action in the field of refugee policy will be discussed when the EU meets with Turkey on 7 March. "We will assess the situation and will then have to decide how we are going to proceed together," explained the Chancellor.

"We must find lasting solutions that will be acceptable tomorrow too – and most importantly we cannot have solutions that involve one party making decisions that simply leave other countries to deal with the problem," said Angela Merkel in the newspaper Magdeburger Volksstimme. "We have a lot to do together in Europe at the moment. But it is possible and we can already see the first fruits of progress."

Frank-Walter Steinmeier calls for an end to unilateral national actions

Simply pushing back the refugee problem to the next border is not a solution, stressed Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier in the face of the violent incidents at the Greek-Macedonian border. What is needed is to share the burden across Europe.

The images broadcast from the border between Greece and Macedonia are evidence "that unilateral national actions are not a solution", said Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (on 1 March) in Washington D.C., where he was meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry. To bring the refugee crisis along the Balkan route under control "a common European approach is needed".

There must be a will to cooperate

Frank-Walter Steinmeier hopes that the meeting of EU heads of government with Turkey on 7 March will "increase the readiness of the European states to cooperate". He pointed out that Greece and a few other EU states including Germany are currently bearing the brunt of the crisis.

There is no single answer to the problem, he added. "We need a whole series of answers – national and European agreements with Syria’s neighbours and with Turkey."

Working together to defuse the conflict in Syria

One of the main factors forcing people to flee their homes is the conflict and fighting in Syria. The USA must help to address this factor, said the Federal Foreign Minister. "The answer could be to defuse the conflict in Syria and thus reduce the refugee pressure." The United States of America is important in this context, stressed Frank-Walter Steinmeier.