Merkel wants U.S. to take more asylum seekers

Merkel wants U.S. to take more asylum seekers

"The United States could accept more refugees from Syria, as well as help improve the living conditions of Syrian refugees in refugee camps in Libya, Jordan and Turkey," she said, and noted, during a special meeting of EU leaders, that she does not expect a quick solution of the refugee crisis.

"There are no overnight solutions. We need patience and strength," Merkel said.

The U.S. has announced that it will receive at least 10,000 Syrian refugees in the fiscal year that begins in October. It will be part of a total of 85,000 refugees from around the world that will be accepted by the United States in that year.

But the White House plan was met on Monday with stiff resistance in the Congress, where Republican lawmakers requested the right to review and reject the plan, citing fear of terrorism.

"Our schools, the labor market and public resources are already overburdened. And besides, we do not have sufficient capacity to detect extremists," said Republican Senator Jeff Sessions, chairman of Immigration Subcommittee.

Five Republican and one Democratic senator wrote last week to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry seeking tougher measures of checks of immigrants.

The current measures are so stringent that only 1,500 Syrians have received permission to enter the United States since the outbreak of the war in the country in 2011.