Germany warns Britain over limits on immigration from EU members
Merkel quoted as saying that such a move would amount to a 'point of no return' for Britain
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned Britain that putting limits on immigration from other European Union nations would be a "point of no return" that could sharply increase the risk of Britain leaving the group, a magazine said.
The weekly Der Spiegel, quoting sources in Merkel's office and the German foreign ministry, reported on Sunday that Merkel was becoming worried for the first time that a British departure from the EU was a genuine possibility.
Under growing pressure from the anti-EU UK Independence Party (UKIP) ahead of a national election in May next year, British Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservatives have said they would try to cap immigration from the EU if re-elected.
Both Merkel and the European Commission in Brussels have said that would violate a fundamental EU principle allowing citizens of the bloc to live and work in any member state.
Der Spiegel quoted sources in Berlin saying that if Cameron did insist on limiting the number of immigrants from other EU states, "there will be no going back".
"Should Cameron persist [in this plan], Chancellor Angela Merkel would abandon her efforts to keep Britain in the EU. With that a point of no return would be reached," it quoted the sources as saying. "That would be it then."