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BERLIN (AP) — Germany says it has reached an agreement with Spain for that country to take back previously registered migrants who show up at the German border, a first step toward implementing a deal to defuse a domestic political dispute over migration.
Interior Ministry spokeswoman Eleonore Petermann said Wednesday that, under the agreement taking effect Saturday, migrants picked up at German border controls who previously registered in Spain will be returned there within 48 hours. She said Spain didn't ask for anything in return.
Petermann said talks with Greece and Italy, which have been bigger sources of migration to Germany, are ongoing.
In June, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer threatened to turn back previously registered migrants unilaterally at the German-Austrian border. Chancellor Angela Merkel insisted Germany must reach agreements with other countries.
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This story has been corrected to show the agreement takes effect Saturday, not Sunday.
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