German Parliament President Wolfgang Schäuble is due to mediate an ongoing fight within Germany's conservative bloc, according to a report on Friday.

German newspaper the Rheinische Post reported that the heads of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU) asked Schäuble to speak with the leaders of their Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU), over the next few days to work out a compromise on migration policy.

An escalating disagreement between Merkel and Interior Minister Horst Seehofer over migration policy is threatening to tear apart the ruling conservatives, who currently govern with the Social Democrats (SPD).

According to the paper, CDU heads believe Schäuble has "credibility on both sides" due to his past criticism of Germany's refugee policies and his unwavering loyalty to Merkel.

CSU leader Alexander Dobrindt and the CDU's Parliamentary Leader Volker Kauder are due to speak on Monday.

Collision course over border checks

The two conservative parties have been butting heads over Seehofer's "immigration master plan" for overhauling German migration policy.

In particular, Merkel has explicitly ruled out Seehofer's proposal to turn away migrants and those seeking asylum at Germany's border who have already registered in other European Union states.

Instead, the chancellor hopes to secure agreements with other EU members at a European Union summit in two weeks time.

Seehofer and the CSU have threatened to go off on their own if Merkel won't agree to their plan. Seehofer is expected to announce the start of border checks on Monday, using his authority as interior minister.

The CSU is also facing state elections in Bavaria in October where they're hoping to defend their absolute majority against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

UNHCR warns unilateral moves 

The United Nations' refugee agency (UNHCR) cautioned Germany against taking unilateral action in its refugee policy, saying the proposed new measures would violate Germany's international commitments.

"Germany is obligated to check which country is responsible for those who are seeking protection and asylum at the border," Dominik Bartsch, the head of the UNCHR in Germany, told German newspaper Die Welt.

"In any case, the affected people must be allowed to stay for the duration of this check," he emphasized.

Bartsch backed efforts to find an EU-wide solution to solving migration policy issues, saying that proposed unilateral moves "don't just harm refugees, but also Europe as well."

rs/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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