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Germany and partners consider 'transit zones' for refugees

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her coalition partners have agreed some areas on how to deal with the refugee crisis but need more talks on other points following a meeting, a government spokesman said.

An extra 100,000 migrants and refugees will be taken to welcome centres to ease the crisis, after a deal agreed by European and Balkan state leaders during an emergency summit.

According to the UNHCR, more than 643,000 refugees and migrants from the Middle East, Africa and Asia have crossed the Mediterranean to Europe this year, with at least 3,135 known to have died en route.

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UNHCR: More than 10,000 refugees stranded in Serbia

Restrictions further west in Europe have left thousands stranded in Serbia Credit: Reuters

More than 10,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded in Serbia because of restrictions imposed by countries further away in western Europe, according to the UN refugee agency.

"We can only say that there are more than 10,000 refugees in Serbia," UNHCR spokeswoman Melita Sunjic was quoted by Reuters as saying from the Serbian-Croatian border.

"It is like a big river of people, and if you stop the flow, you will have floods somewhere. That's what's happening now."

Sunjic said there was a shortage of food and blankets. "We are missing everything," she said.

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