German 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 favored destination for refugees fleeing war in the Middle East and others hoping to improve their economic circumstances, expects a record 800,000 to 1 million asylum seekers to arrive this year.

The influx is proving a major logistical challenge, straining resources as the authorities struggle to register and house all the new arrivals, some of whom remain in tents as winter approaches.