Chaos in Germany with towns 'overwhelmed' by migrants as Chancellor makes major vow

Germany will curb its influx of asylum seekers by 54% to prevent schools and hospitals becoming "overwhelmed", the incoming Chancellor has vowed. , the leader of the (CDU), will be following an election which saw far-right party the (AfD) poll second for the first time on an anti-immigration ticket.

The new Chancellor will aim to oversee a continued decline in asylum figures which have fallen by almost a third in the last year, in a bid to ease the strain on public services. He told a German TV show: "Our position is that these figures need to significantly come down. It can no longer be a six-digit figure - towns, communities, schools, hospitals and infrastructure are overwhelmed."

He added: "There has been a lot of change in Europe. Many attempts to change failed in Germany however in recent years. Going forward, this will no longer be the case."

Merz's CDU party that it would enter into a coalition with the centre-Left Social Democrats (SPD), after vowing not to partner with the AfD.

The unprecedented levels of post-war support for a far-right party in the country shows the importance placed on immigration by the German electorate.

A reduction by more than half would see the number of people claiming asylum in the country curbed at 100,000. The plans to achieve this rely on tough immigration rules which would end asylum seekers right to claim German citizenship after three years of residency.

Under new rules, potential citizens will be able to gain citizenship after spending five years in the country demonstrating an ability to integrate.

After announcing the plans for a coalition, Merz said in a joint press conference: "We will embark on a new course in migration policy.

"We will better organize and manage, with the aim of largely ending irregular migration.

"There will be controls at national borders and also returns of asylum seekers at the border.

"We will intensify deportations, end voluntary admission programs, and suspend family reunification."

Germany was the most popular destination for asylum seekers last year, with the country seeing 235,925 applications for the right to remain.