Merkel admits mistakes made in Germany, EU with refugee crisis

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visits facilities of yacht manufacturer HanseYachts AG in Greifswald, Germany, August 30, 2016. REUTERS/Stefanie Loos

BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany and other European Union countries turned a blind eye to the refugee crisis building on its external borders for too long, Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a German newspaper interview to be published on Wednesday.

Merkel, who has faced criticism in Germany for launching her policies of welcoming refugees a year ago, also told the Sueddeutsche Zeitung that Germany and the EU will need patience and endurance in dealing with migration of people to Europe.