Germany agrees to take in 10,000 more migrants selected by UN refugee agency

Germany has agreed to take in 10,000 migrants who were selected by the United Nations’ refugee (UNHCR) agency.

Angela Merkel said the refugees would be part of a resettlement programme in Germany but did not indicate from which countries they would come.

The decision was announced during a meeting between Ms Merkel and the UN’s High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.

Germany's Chancellor said she was supporting the move in an effort, "to prevent illegal migration and substitute it through legal opportunities."

Mr Grandi thanked Germany for tripling its financial support to the UNHCR in the last three years, making Germany the second biggest donor after the United States.

Germany is now contributing about 387 million euros (473 million dollars) annually to the agency, according to the German news agency DPA.

Ms Merkel previously agreed to cap the number of refugees arriving in Germany at 200,000, as a concession during coalition negotiations to form a new government.

The German chancellor, who has opened up Germany’s borders to people fleeing the wars in the Middle East and Africa, made the concession to secure the support of the regional Bavarian party the CSU (Christian Social Union).

The change of policy came after the far-right AfD party did well in the German federal elections, securing third place and becoming the first far-right party to enter the Bundestag in half a century.

Agencies contributed to this report