Refugee crisis: Angela Merkel's Christian Democrat party growing restless over influx expected to top a million this year

Regional MPs and officials voiced their objections to the Chancellor’s policies in a three-page letter

Angela Merkel denies that this ‘selfie’ with a migrant, taken at a shelter outside Berlin, has been encouraging ‘hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes and embark on this difficult road’ (Getty)

Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing growing opposition to her refugee policies from the grassroots, as 126 leading members of her ruling conservatives from across Germany demanded that she halt an influx of migrants which is expected to top one million this year.

Christian Democrat regional MPs and officials voiced their objections to Ms Merkel’s stance in a three-page letter. The Chancellor was also reported to have been angrily criticised by members of her parliamentary party.

Der Spiegel reported that an estimated one in five of her MPs opposed her policies. A majority of Ms Merkel’s Social Democrat coalition partners continue to support her.

An poll published by YouGov suggested that public opinion was turning against her. It found that 56 per cent of Germans felt there were too many asylum-seekers while 19 per cent thought there was room for more.