Berlin, July 29 (RHC)-- German Chancellor Angela Merkel cut short her holiday on Thursday to return to Berlin to take on criticism over her government's relaxed border policies in the wake of a number of violent attacks within Germany.

At a press conference Thursday, Merkel vowed that she would not be changing her open-door policies and that Germany would "stick to our principles." She said that while Germany "would give shelter to those who need it," in light of the recent attacks there was a need for better early warning systems to prevent terror attacks.

German conservatives and even some of the left-wing opposition and supporters of Merkel have said that her government's open-door refugee policy has been a failure. Earlier, Merkel claimed “we can do this,” in reference to Germany choosing to take in more refugee from war torn countries.

Last year, more than one million refugees entered Germany, with many escaping violence and persecution in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and making the treacherous journey across the Mediterranean sea.

Almost 3,000 refugees are reported to have died so far in 2016 in the Mediterranean, according to the International Organization of Migration. While Merkel has been criticized for the amount of refugees that Germany has taken in, most western countries, including Germany, have taken in a very small percentage of asylum seekers that exist, with many more seeking shelter in poor countries such as Turkey and Lebanon.