Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters at Bavaria on Wednesday that she wanted to stem the flow of refugees into the European Union by keeping at the same time the borders open.

“It is very important to me that we achieve both a noticeable reduction in the flow of refugees … and at the same time preserve the free movement of people within the European Union,” she told reporters at a conference of her Bavarian allies, the CSU.

It is clear that the German chancellor believes that the two issues depend on each other, since failure to control the refugee flows would lead to additional security measures from adjusting Schengen’s conditions to temporary or permanent abolition of Schengen area. This belief, though, has not been announced formally by the German leadership.

As Mrs. Merkel said, the free movement of citizens in EU was “a motor for economic development and prosperity”, she said.

It should also be noted that following Sweden, Denmark has also imposed temporary border checks fearing that it would become the final destination for many refugees.