Germany's ruling coalition agrees on new steps to accelerate asylum

Party leaders of Germany's ruling coalition have agreed on Thursday on plans to establish special registration centers for refugees in Germany, with an aim to speed up asylum procedures for those who have little chance to get asylum.

The plan was announced at a joint press conference by German Chancellor Angela Merkel as well as coalition party heads Sigmar Gabriel and Horst Seehofer after their summit meeting over refugees on Thursday afternoon.

The German government plans to set up three to five special reception centers across the country, in which asylum applications of people from safe countries of origin will be processed in accelerated procedures.

Asylum seekers leaving in the registration centers are required to follow a residency rule, meaning they are basically not allowed to leave the district where the centers are located in.

Merkel, Gabriel and Seehofer have already met on Sunday to discuss the current refugee situation, but failed to hammer out a compromise deal.