Against the backdrop of hundreds of thousands of refugees entering Germany, Berlin said it would welcome refugees and political asylum-seekers but would not allow illegal migrants in the country.

“While we will welcome political asylum-seekers in Germany, illegal migrants will not be able to stay in our country,” said German Ambassador to Bangladesh Dr Thomas Prinz, adding that they would have to differentiate between desperate asylum seekers and economic migrants.

In a press statement yesterday, the diplomat said there were plenty of legal opportunities to move to Germany, while “penalties for illegal migration are hard”.

 “In the past days I have received numerous positive reactions from Bangladeshi citizens, complimenting my government on its approach towards refugees in Europe. Let me extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of our Bangladeshi friends that gave us moral support in these challenging times”, said Dr Prinz.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany expected to take at least 800,000 asylum seekers this year. The figure is likely to go up and could hit one million, Berlin says.

Reaffirming the existing burden sharing system within the EU, Ambassador Prinz emphasized that this was a humanitarian catastrophe, and that “refugees needed quick help and Germany was happy to provide aid in this exceptional case -- this was a time for generous and swift assistance”.

“Due to our history we have a special responsibility towards political refugees from crisis zones around the world. I am proud that my fellow citizens acknowledged the humanitarian dimension of the crisis and rose to the occasion by welcoming exhausted families from Syria and Iraq in Germany, handing out food, water and toys,” said the German ambassador.

Last week, images of the Munich rail station went around the globe, he said adding, “The odyssey of thousands of exhausted refugees from war-torn countries like Syria and Iraq finally came to an end, when they were welcomed by hundreds of volunteers in the Bavarian city.”

German authorities handed out water and food to the tired masses, while bystanders cheered when refugees disembarked from trains from Austria and Hungary, he said.

Prinz said Europe was facing its biggest refugee crisis in recent history. Asylum-seekers from conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa were fleeing war, terror and oppression.

“This year, Germany alone is expecting 800,000 asylum-seekers -- a great challenge for local communities, the government's budget and its citizens. The number of refugees in Germany has quadrupled in the last twelve months,” the diplomat noted.