MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Schengen zone will continue to function only in case of the European Union jointly addressing the problem of refugees while securing its borders, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday.
"I do not want to voice any concrete dangers, what happens if, but the Schengen system will work only if the EU countries accept a common responsibility for refugees and for protecting external borders," Merkel told reporters during a press conference in Berlin. Solutions to the problem must be found rapidly, she added.
The migrant flow to Europe must be regulated, with illegal movement replaced by legal migration channels, the chancellor said, adding that everything possible must be done to preserve the Schengen free travel zone.
This year has seen an unprecedented wave of migration to Europe, with over one million migrants arriving to European shores, according to International Organization for Migration data. Over 1.2 million illegal border crossings have been detected by the EU border agency Frontex since the beginning of 2015.