Berlin forecasts 800,000 asylum seekers in 2015

(ANSA) - Berlin, August 19 - 800,000 asylum seekers are expected to arrive in Germany this year, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
    Interior Minister Thomas De Maiziere, who announced the official figures, stressed the number was twice what was expected based on previous estimates.
    He said July was a record month for asylum requests, noting that 37,500 were registered last month.
    "Some 40% of the requests in the first six months came from the western Balkans: this is unacceptable," De Maiziere said.
    "We must act differently; be quicker and act in a more pragmatic fashion."