Merkel rebuffs party pressure to take tougher line on refugees

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks during a discussion panel with students about the 25th anniversary of the German unity, at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, October 13, 2015. REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel resisted pressure from her own conservatives on Tuesday to tighten Germany's border controls and turn away refugees arriving via Austria, participants at a meeting of lawmakers said.

Germany, a favoured destination for refugees fleeing war in the Middle East, expects a record 800,000 to a million asylum seekers to arrive this year.