Germany's parliament on Wednesday narrowly approved a call by Chancellor Olaf Scholz's main challenger to turn back many more migrants at the country's borders, with the help of a far-right party — a move that drew strong criticism of the front-runner in the campaign for next month's election.

BERLIN (Reuters) - German election frontrunner Friedrich Merz succeeded on Wednesday in getting a motion passed in parliament that calls for a migration crackdown including the rejection of asylum seekers at the country's land borders.

The resolution calls on the government to launch permanent border controls and for the 'rejection of all attempts to enter the country illegally without exception.'

With less than four weeks before Germany’s federal election, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his conservative challenger Friedrich Merz, who is leading polls, will take their contentious battle over how to crack down on illegal migration to parliament.

Germany’s opposition leader says his party will bring motions to toughen migration policy to parliament next week in one of its last sessions before the country’s election.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s main challenger in Germany’s upcoming election plans to put proposals for a tougher migration policy to parliament

Germany's opposition conservatives won parliamentary approval on Wednesday for a proposal to drastically restrict migration with the help of votes from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), breaking a taboo on cooperation with the far-right.