The process drags on for years, and during the interim, applicants are unable to find a home, job or future. Advocates say the system needs streamlining.
Groups of the refugees earlier had left a rail station and stopped train and begun walking toward Austria. Also: The father of a 3-year-old Syrian boy who drowned in the Aegean Sea buries his family.
More than 1,000 weary Syrian refugees were greeted with food and applause at the Austrian border after arriving by busloads from a long, chaotic journey through Hungary.
Last week, Bundesliga fans brought welcome banners to stadiums. Now soccer giant FC Bayern Munich is following suit, opening its heart and wallet to help refugees adjust to life in Germany.
Police in Budapest lifted a two-day blockade of the Keleti station, allowing migrants to enter. But some inadvertently boarded trains bound for a refugee camp outside the capital.
In Hamburg, home to one of Europe's busiest ports, support for trade is fervent. But many Germans have their doubts about a proposed trans-Atlantic agreement that is expected next year.
The eurozone's third bailout program for Greece was largely the work of German leaders, but makes may Germans uncomfortable. They want a hard line taken with Greece, but fear being seen as bullies.
Video of the encounter with the Palestinian girl whose family is close to deportation has gone viral. The German chancellor's manner during the interaction has been both criticized and lauded.