Friedrich Merz, the country's favourite to become next chancellor, said he would collect votes from all parties in order to push his five-point migration plan through parliament despite Chancellor Olaf Scholz's strong opposition.

German election frontrunner Friedrich Merz succeeded on Wednesday in getting a motion passed in parliament that calls for a migration crackdown including the rejection of asylum seekers at the country's land borders.

With less than four weeks before Germany’s federal election, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who is leading polls, will take their contentious battle over how to crack down on illegal migration to parliament.